Res. No. 870 Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass Assembly bill A.6495 and State Senate bill S.111, which would amend the Real Property Tax Law to allow water rate relief to benefit senior citizens residing in cities with populations of one million or more. Body By Council Members Comrie, Addabbo, Baez, Brewer, Clarke, Felder, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Gentile, Gerson, Jackson, Katz, Koppell, Monserrate, Nelson, Recchia, Reed, Sanders, Seabrook, Sears, Serrano, Weprin, Yassky, Quinn, Lanza and Oddo Whereas, New York City water rates have steadily increased in recent years, including a 3% hike in Fiscal Year 2002, a 6.5% rise in Fiscal Year 2003, and a 5.5% increase in Fiscal Year 2004; and Whereas, The impact of these water rate increases is felt most severely by low- to moderate-income senior citizens, many of whom struggle to continue living in their homes while paying higher costs for necessities such as food and prescription drugs; and Whereas, Section 467 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law, commonly referred to as the Senior Citizen Homeowners Exemption (SCHE), authorizes real property tax exemptions for lower income seniors who own and occupy their homes; and Whereas, Sections 467-b and 467-c of the Real Property Tax Law, known as the Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE), allow rent increase exemptions for certain senior citizens living in rent-controlled, rent-stabilized and Mitchell-Lama units, while providing equivalent property tax abatements to building property owners; and Whereas, New York State Assembly bill A.6495 and State Senate bill S.111 would amend the sections of law authorizing SCHE and SCRIE to provide water rate relief to benefit senior citizens who qualify for property tax and rent increase exemptions; and Whereas, More specifically, the proposed bills would allow cities with populations of one million or more, like the City of New York, to adopt a local law or ordinance to take into account any fee or assessment paid to the city for metered use of water in the computation of an exemption or tax abatement under SCHE or SCRIE; and Whereas, Because senior citizens' incomes rarely increase sufficiently to keep up with rising living costs, measures such as water rate relief are crucial in allowing them to continue living affordably in their homes; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass Assembly bill A.6495 and State Senate bill S.111, which would amend the Real Property Tax Law to allow water rate relief to benefit senior citizens residing in cities with populations of one million or more. LS# 2444 CAB 5/7/03 |1013|