Panel Will Vote on Rent Increases, a Key Issue for Mamdani and Adams
Mayor Eric Adams has supported rent increases for New York City's one million rent-stabilized apartments every year since he took office. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, likely to be the Democratic nominee facing him in the general election in November, cruised into the lead in his party's mayoral primary last week on a promise to freeze the rent.
Now, a nine-member panel appointed by the mayor to vote on potential increases is set to decide what happens to rents in rent-stabilized buildings over the next year as the city faces linked affordability and housing crises. The contrast between Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Adams is adding a new layer of tension to the panel's decision. The vote is scheduled for Monday night in Manhattan.
The panel, called the Rent Guidelines Board, took preliminary votes this spring to back increases of between 1.75 and 4.75 percent on one-year leases, and between 3.75 and 7.75 percent for two-year leases. Any increases would apply to leases beginning in or after October. Mr. Adams has said that the higher range was too high.
As in past years, the discourse around the vote reflects the rift between pro-renter and pro-landlord political interests in New York City. But it is also providing an opportunity for Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Adams to distinguish themselves from each other at a time when making the city a more affordable place to live is a key issue driving the election.
The board is supposed to be independent. But the mayor appoints its nine members, and its decisions often reflect the political priorities of the sitting mayor.
Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, built a successful campaign around a promise to appoint members to the board who would halt future increases. That strategy helped him surge ahead of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the front-runner in the polls who had been backed by landlords and did not support a rent freeze.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Virginia Aquarium major exhibits in need of urgent upgrades, assessment shows
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The one of the state's biggest attractions, is in urgent need of upgrades, according to a recent assessment presented to the Virginia Beach City Council. That assessment determined the useful life of major exhibits at the Virginia Aquarium, including the Seal Tank, Turtle Tank and Shark Tank. These three exhibits are 30 years old. It was determined these exhibits have reached their life expectancy, necessitating immediate repairs to extend their usability. The assessment revealed that approximately $10 million in repairs could extend the life of the aquarium's exhibits by 8 to 10 years. This funding would be jointly provided by the city and the The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is a collaboration between the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation. The City of Virginia Beach owns and maintains the Aquarium's buildings and grounds. The Foundation procures and maintains the Aquarium's collections, including its fish and animals. Virginia Aquarium now charging for parking In addition to the temporary fixes, a long-term solution involves constructing a new building, which could take up to seven years to complete. The report stresses the urgency of securing funding for the immediate repairs to ensure the exhibits remain operational during this period. There were three separate studies conducted. The interior infrastructure study was facilitated by the Virginia Aquarium Foundation and focused on the conditions of the Seal, Shark and Turtle habitats. An exterior infrastructure study led by Moseley Architects with Thorton Tomasetti as sub-consultants. It focused on the exterior condition. An operating model study conducted by consultant Canopy Strategic Partners examined potential operating models, including the amount of funding needed. The results of the first two studies are what were presented during the June 24 meeting. The results of the third study are expected by year end. Virginia Beach City Council approves Virginia Aquarium funding The Virginia Beach City Council Meeting – Special Formal Session was held on June 24, 2025. You can view the meeting in its entirety on YouTube. The Virginia Aquarium is the third most visited attraction in the Commonwealth, according to the Foundation. The need for upgrades highlights the importance of timely investment to preserve one of Virginia's key attractions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Judge voids VB City Council's vote that implemented 10-1 voting system
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A judge has ruled a 2023 vote taken by City Council to institute a 10-1 district election system is now void, but held off on dictating what system must be put into place to elect council and School Board members. Instead, state Circuit Court Judge Randall Smith, retired out of Chesapeake, stayed his ruling Monday until after a referendum on the voting system is held in November. Voters in the city will have the choice to either endorse continuing to use the 10-1 system that has been used in the 2022 and 2024 elections, or transition to a 7-3-1 system, spelled out in the City Charter. Either way, Smith's ruling made clear the authority to change the election system lies in the hands of the Virginia General Assembly. Former City Council member Linwood Branch, who led several plaintiffs in bringing the suit last year, was pleased with ruling. 'Every voting change we've ever had in our city, beginning with the merger in 1963, the citizens of Virginia Beach have determined by referendum their voting system,' Branch said. 'We broke with precedent this time, but I'm glad seven members of council are now going to get us back to having the citizens have that opportunity. It's their vote. It's no one else's.' The voting system governing Virginia's largest city has been debated for years. In Branch's suit, the plaintiffs alleged the city illegally eliminated three at-large seats expressly established under the City Charter when it passed its decennial redistricting measure in 2023. Virginia Beach was split into 10 separate districts of approximately 46,000 people. Each voter is only allowed to vote for the mayor and representative of the district they reside in under the 10-1 system. That's a far change from the city's longtime system. Traditionally, Virginia Beach races were conducted in what became known as a 'hybrid at-large' system. Seven of the members serving on the city council or school board had to live in certain parts of the city, but every voter could vote for not only every district member, but also three at-large members and the mayor — thereby, a 7-3-1 system. While a law passed by the General Assembly in 2021 abolished the use of the hybrid-at large system, 7-3-1 remains codified in the charter. Smith agreed with plaintiffs that only the General Assembly can change the charter. 'It's a pure legal case,' said Brandan Goodwin, an attorney representing the plaintiffs. 'And you saw today that the judge's ruling was properly correct, that there was no authority in those statutes to eliminate the at-large seats guaranteed to the citizens of Virginia Beach in the city charter. That's what our case is about and now, moving forward, the city has done the right thing and is pursuing this referendum to let the citizens have a voice.' However, the Virginia Beach City Attorney's office argued the 10-1 was the 'only legally viable system under both federal and state law' when the decennial redistricting needed to be passed. In 2021, United States District Judge Raymond Jackson ruled that Virginia Beach's former 7-3-1 system 'denies Hispanics, African Americans and Asians equal access to the electoral and political process.' While a federal appeals court overturned Jackson's ruling, the Virginia Beach City Attorney deemed it too late to stop the use of the court-imposed 10-1 system for the 2022 City Council and School Board elections. Jackson dismissed the federal case after the city committed to efforts to have the General Assembly amend the City Charter for the 10-1 system. Proponents of the 10-1 system point to Virginia Beach City Council becoming the most 'diverse city council' in the history of the city following the 2022 election. They also point to 2023 data from University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center that found the 10-1 district voting system was supported by 81% of city residents, with a 95% confidence level. However, those in the business, tourism and agriculture communities have fought back. Branch, who owns the Days Inn at the Oceanfront, favors a new 7-3-1. 'I think every citizen has, has lost power,' Branch said. 'Would you join an HOA where you could only vote for two of 11 board members? That's what we have in Virginia Beach. You don't have the power to influence any decision and voting is accountability. … I look at our Virginia Aquarium. It's one of the jewels of our city. And yet it right now, it's unfunded. They have compromised aquarium tanks that are going to not work because nobody from other districts really cares. That's not how Virginia Beach is supposed to be, that you worry about one little district and not the whole city. More at-large representation will take care of citywide issues as well, which is important. We're not a little small town.' Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) vetoed a City Charter change last year because of Branch's lawsuit. Late last year, a majority of City Council members didn't support requesting a charter change, as the case was still ongoing. Smith made clear his ruling does not change the lawful elections under 10-1 of 2022 and 2024. 'He's not doing anything about that ruling until the public has a chance to speak in the referendum,' said Chris Boynton, a deputy city attorney for Virginia Beach. 'And at that point, he believes the case will likely resolve itself, either by 10-1 happening by virtue of the public support and perhaps General Assembly action, or 7-3-1 after the referendum. Then we'd have to deal with the federal and the state Voting Rights Act implications of that.' Branch said he would honor 'the will of the people' either way. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Factbox-Where trade talks stand with major US partners ahead of tariffs-hike deadline
(Reuters) -Negotiators from more than a dozen major U.S. trading partners are rushing to reach agreements with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration by a July 9 deadline to avoid import tariffs jumping to higher levels, and Trump and his team kept up the pressure on Monday. With only a limited deal with Britain completed so far, Trump has repeatedly threatened just to send a series of letters to trading partners identifying what their new tariff rate will be after the deadline, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the risk of tariffs going up next week is real. "We have countries that are negotiating in good faith, but they should be aware that if we can't get across the line because they are being recalcitrant, then we could spring back to the April 2 levels," Bessent said on Bloomberg Television on Monday. "I hope that won't have to happen." Just over a week remains before tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on goods from many other countries could be imposed if those countries fail to agree on bilateral trade deals in time. Trump on April 9 put a 90-day pause on the stiff levies he had announced the previous week that sent global financial markets into a tailspin. Stocks have rallied back to record highs since then on optimism that deals will be completed on time, or the deadline perhaps extended again. Here is where some of the key negotiations stand for several U.S. trading partners: EUROPEAN UNION The European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is flying to Washington on July 1 to meet with his U.S. counterparts, and has welcomed draft proposals from the U.S. Progress has been opaque, but the 27-member EU has said its regulations on social media and other technology companies, much stricter than those in the U.S., are not up for negotiation. The EU, meanwhile, is open to a U.S. deal that would apply a universal 10% tariff on many of its exports, but the bloc is seeking U.S. commitments to reduce tariffs in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft, Bloomberg reported. The EU is also pushing the U.S. to implement quotas and exemptions to effectively ease Washington's 25% tariff on automobiles and auto parts, as well as its 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. JAPAN Japan says it is working to reach an agreement with the U.S. while defending its national interest. Trump, meanwhile, continues to accuse Japan of "unfair" automobile trade with the U.S., making it unclear how American importers of Japanese cars might avoid tariffs of 25%. Trump has also suggested Japan should import more U.S. oil, among other goods. On Monday, Trump said Japan could be among those he sends a letter to identifying its tariff rate after he complained about import restrictions it imposes on America-grown rice. "I have great respect for Japan, they won't take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage," he said in a Truth Social post. "We'll just be sending them a letter, and we love having them as a Trading Partner for many years to come." INDIA Early optimism has faded, with India-U.S. talks stalling on disagreementsover U.S. tariffs on auto components, steel and agricultural goods. Indian trade officials in Washington have said they are willing to extend their stay, with the main sticking point being on whether India is willing to ease trade protections on dairy, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, soybeans and its other agricultural products and whether the U.S. will ease tariffs on imports of Indian steel and car parts. INDONESIA Accused by some other countries of excessive red tape, Indonesia eased import licensing requirements for some goods and waived import restrictions on plastics, chemical products and other industrial raw materials on June 30, seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Trump's July 9 deadline for trade talks. Indonesia has also invited the U.S. to jointly invest in a state-owned Indonesian minerals project as part of its tariff negotiations. SOUTH KOREA Despite frequent rounds of talks and some preliminary agreements, South Korea said it would seek an extension on Trump's July 9 deadline. South Korea already imposes virtually zero tariffs on U.S. imported goods under a free-trade agreement, and so the U.S. has focused on other issues, including foreign exchange rates and defense costs, with Trump often complaining about the cost-sharing arrangement for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. THAILAND With the threat of Americans having to pay 36% tariffs to import Thai goods, Thailand has projected optimism about its talks with the U.S., its largest export market. Thailand's proposalshave included reducing its own tariffs, purchasing more American goods and increasing investments. BRITAIN Britain has raced ahead of other countries: as of June 30, tariffs on U.S. imports of British cars are down to 10%, down from an earlier 27.5%, and removed entirely for aircraft engines and other aerospace goods. The two countries are still negotiating tariffs on British steel and aluminum, with Britain seeking to avoid the 50% tariffs the U.S. has imposed on importing these goods from many other countries. CHINA U.S.-China talks are on a different track, with a deadline for completing a wider agreement set for August. Talks between the two have faltered on the selling of rare earth minerals and magnets to the U.S., with China suspending those exports in response to Trump's tariffs announcement in April, upending global supply chains. In late June, the U.S. said it had reached an agreement with China to resume those exports while the two economic superpowers continue to negotiate a broader trade deal. (Compiled by Jonathan Allen; Edited by Dan Burns and Marguerita Choy) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
