Latest news with #CityCharter
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Reports say Manchester aldermen already have 'significant authority' over school budget
New reports from the Manchester city clerk and solicitor's offices suggest making the local school district a city department wouldn't give the mayor or aldermen much more power over the school budget then they already have. The reports appear as an agenda item for Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall. An effort to ask Manchester voters if they support making the school district a department of the city, a topic debated on and off for decades, was given new life recently when Mayor Jay Ruais broke a 7-7 tie to send a request to look at either making the Manchester School District a city department or granting the mayor the power to set the district's budget to the aldermen for study, ahead of possible placement on the November election ballot. While the school district isn't a city department, aldermen must approve its budget. For the matter to appear on a municipal ballot this November, aldermen need to take a final vote on the matter by Tuesday, June 3. City Clerk Matt Normand and City Solicitor Emily Rice were asked to research the topic ahead of a vote on the matter, with the understanding that the goal was to give the mayor more say over the school budget, including line-item veto power. In her report, Rice writes that she investigated the issue through the lens of establishing authority of the aldermen over the budget of the Manchester School District. 'It is the opinion of this office that the Mayor and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) possess significant authority in this regard under both the current charter and applicable state law,' Rice writes. Rice points out the mayor has 'extensive authority over the form, procedure and adoption of the city's annual budget,' and the school district budget is subject to the approval of the BMA. 'If the BMA rejects the budget as submitted, the school committee is required to 'submit a revised budget which shall not exceed the maximum dollar amount established by the board of mayor and aldermen,'" Rice writes, quoting the city's Charter. 'The Charter contains no language which would, after rejection by the BMA, permit the submission of (a) school department budget which exceeds the maximum amount established by the BMA. 'It does not appear that seeking to amend the Charter to make the school district a department of city government would be an effective means of attempting to add to the city's significant existing authority over the school district budget.' Rice adds any such amendment would be subject to numerous controlling state statutes and administrative rules governing the authority and responsibilities of local school boards, school districts and superintendents. In a report on his on findings, Normand writes he was asked to present to the board a comparison of charter sections related to the school district within the current City Charter (known as the 1997 Charter) and the previous City Charter (known as the 1983 Charter), to the extent that the district had previously been considered a department. Normand also reviewed the 1996 Charter Commission minutes. 'It is clear that the commission was very deliberate in maintaining the same level of authority for both the district and the BMA outlined in the 1983 City Charter while making minor changes they believed would clarify responsibilities of each,' Normand writes. 'In summary, there is no appreciable difference between the two charters as it relates to the school district. There is no section of the 1983 City Charter that represents the district as a department; in fact, the 1997 City Charter expanded the seats on the Board of School Committee from twelve members to fourteen members (at-large positions), reiterated that the school district budget shall constitute a single line item, yet gave future mayors the ability to veto all acts of the aldermen including actions related to the entire budget or any line item thereof, for the first time.' Efforts to bring city schools under the umbrella of city government have fallen short over the past 20 years.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
LA's mayor declared a homelessness emergency. Now, some at City Hall want to move past it
LOS ANGELES – It was the first and possibly the most dramatic act by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she took office: declaring a city emergency on homelessness. That move, backed by the City Council, gave Bass the power to award no-bid contracts to nonprofit groups and to rent hotels and motels for interim homeless housing. It also allowed Bass to waive regulations limiting the size and scale of certain types of affordable housing. Now, two and a half years into Bass' tenure, some on the council are looking to reassert their authority, by rescinding the homelessness emergency declaration. Councilmember Tim McOsker said he wants to return city government to its normal processes and procedures, as spelled out in the City Charter. Leases, contracts and other decisions related to homelessness would again be taken up at public meetings, with council members receiving testimony, taking written input and ultimately voting. "Let's come back to why these processes exist," McOsker said in an interview. "They exist so the public can be made aware of what we're doing with public dollars." McOsker said that, even if the declaration is rescinded, the city will need to address "the remainder of this crisis." For example, he said, the homeless services that the city currently provides could become permanent. The city could also push county agencies - which provide public health, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment - to do more, McOsker said. Bass, for her part, pushed back on McOsker's efforts this week, saying through an aide that the emergency declaration "has resulted in homelessness decreasing for the first time in years, bucking statewide and nationwide trends." "The Mayor encourages Council to resist the urge of returning to failed policies that saw homelessness explode in Los Angeles," said Bass spokesperson Clara Karger. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA, reported last summer that homelessness declined by 2.2% in the city of L.A., the first decrease in several years. The number of unsheltered homeless people - those who live in interim housing, such as hotels and motels, but do not have a permanent residence - dropped by more than 10% to 29,275, down from 32,680. The push from McOsker and at least some of his colleagues comes at a pivotal time. Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to pull more than $300 million from LAHSA, the city-county agency that provides an array of services to the unhoused population. Meanwhile, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which has been battling the city in court over its response to the crisis, is pushing for a federal judge to place the city's homelessness initiatives into a receivership. Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance, said the city has "very little to show" for its emergency declaration in terms of progress on the streets. "It's our view that a state of emergency around homelessness is appropriate, but that the city is not engaged in conduct that reflects the seriousness of the crisis - and is not doing what it needs to do in order to solve the crisis," he said. Inside Safe, Bass' signature program to bring homeless people indoors, has moved 4,316 people into interim housing since it began in 2022, according to a LAHSA dashboard covering the period ending April 30. Of that total, nearly 1,040 went into permanent housing, while nearly 1,600 returned to homelessness. Council members voted this week to extend the mayor's homelessness emergency declaration for another 90 days, with McOsker casting the lone dissenting vote. However, they have also begun taking preliminary steps toward ending the declaration. Last week, while approving the city budget, the council created a new bureau within the Los Angeles Housing Department to monitor spending on homeless services. On Tuesday, the council asked city policy analysts to provide strategies to ensure that nonprofit homeless service providers are paid on a timely basis, "even if there is no longer a declared emergency." The following day, McOsker and Councilmember Nithya Raman - who heads the council's housing and homeless committee - co-authored a proposal asking city policy analysts to report back in 60 days with a plan addressing the "operational, legal and fiscal impacts" of terminating the emergency declaration. That proposal, also signed by Councilmembers John Lee and Ysabel Jurado, now heads to Raman's committee for deliberations. While some on the council have already voiced support for repealing the emergency declaration, others say they are open to the idea - but only if there is a seamless transition. "I want to make sure that if we do wind it down, that we do it responsibly," said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the southwest San Fernando Valley. Blumenfield wants to protect Executive Directive 1, which was issued by Bass shortly after she declared the local emergency, by enshrining its provisions into city law. The directive lifts height limits and other planning restrictions for 100% affordable housing developments, which charge rents below market rates. Raman said the city must confront a number of issues stemming from the homelessness crisis, such as improving data collection. But she, too, voiced interest in exploring the end of the emergency declaration. "This is also an extremely important conversation, and it is one I am eager to have," she said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
L.A.'s mayor declared a homelessness emergency. Now, some at City Hall want to move past it
It was the first and possibly the most dramatic act by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she took office: declaring a city emergency on homelessness. That move, backed by the City Council, gave Bass the power to award no-bid contracts to nonprofit groups and to rent hotels and motels for interim homeless housing. It also allowed Bass to waive regulations limiting the size and scale of certain types of affordable housing. Now, two and a half years into Bass' tenure, some on the council are looking to reassert their authority, by rescinding the homelessness emergency declaration. Councilmember Tim McOsker said he wants to return city government to its normal processes and procedures, as spelled out in the City Charter. Leases, contracts and other decisions related to homelessness would again be taken up at public meetings, with council members receiving testimony, taking written input and ultimately voting. "Let's come back to why these processes exist," McOsker said in an interview. "They exist so the public can be made aware of what we're doing with public dollars." McOsker said that, even if the declaration is rescinded, the city will need to address "the remainder of this crisis." For example, he said, the homeless services that the city currently provides could become permanent. The city could also push county agencies — which provide public health, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment — to do more, McOsker said. Read more: An emergency declaration gives Karen Bass new powers. How will she use them? Bass, for her part, pushed back on McOsker's efforts this week, saying through an aide that the emergency declaration "has resulted in homelessness decreasing for the first time in years, bucking statewide and nationwide trends." "The Mayor encourages Council to resist the urge of returning to failed policies that saw homelessness explode in Los Angeles," said Bass spokesperson Clara Karger. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA, reported last summer that homelessness declined by 2.2% in the city of L.A., the first decrease in several years. The number of unsheltered homeless people — those who live in interim housing, such as hotels and motels, but do not have a permanent residence — dropped by more than 10% to 29,275, down from 32,680. The push from McOsker and at least some of his colleagues comes at a pivotal time. Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to pull more than $300 million from LAHSA, the city-county agency that provides an array of services to the unhoused population. Meanwhile, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which has been battling the city in court over its response to the crisis, is pushing for a federal judge to place the city's homelessness initiatives into a receivership. Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance, said the city has "very little to show" for its emergency declaration in terms of progress on the streets. "It's our view that a state of emergency around homelessness is appropriate, but that the city is not engaged in conduct that reflects the seriousness of the crisis — and is not doing what it needs to do in order to solve the crisis," he said. Inside Safe, Bass' signature program to bring homeless people indoors, has moved 4,316 people into interim housing since it began in 2022, according to a LAHSA dashboard covering the period ending April 30. Of that total, nearly 1,040 went into permanent housing, while nearly 1,600 returned to homelessness. Read more: County supervisors create new homeless agency, despite warnings from L.A. mayor Council members voted this week to extend the mayor's homelessness emergency declaration for another 90 days, with McOsker casting the lone dissenting vote. However, they have also begun taking preliminary steps toward ending the declaration. Last week, while approving the city budget, the council created a new bureau within the Los Angeles Housing Department to monitor spending on homeless services. On Tuesday, the council asked city policy analysts to provide strategies to ensure that nonprofit homeless service providers are paid on a timely basis, "even if there is no longer a declared emergency." The following day, McOsker and Councilmember Nithya Raman — who heads the council's housing and homeless committee — co-authored a proposal asking city policy analysts to report back in 60 days with a plan addressing the "operational, legal and fiscal impacts" of terminating the emergency declaration. That proposal, also signed by Councilmembers John Lee and Ysabel Jurado, now heads to Raman's committee for deliberations. While some on the council have already voiced support for repealing the emergency declaration, others say they are open to the idea — but only if there is a seamless transition. "I want to make sure that if we do wind it down, that we do it responsibly," said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the southwest San Fernando Valley. Blumenfield wants to protect Executive Directive 1, which was issued by Bass shortly after she declared the local emergency, by enshrining its provisions into city law. The directive lifts height limits and other planning restrictions for 100% affordable housing developments, which charge rents below market rates. Raman said the city must confront a number of issues stemming from the homelessness crisis, such as improving data collection. But she, too, voiced interest in exploring the end of the emergency declaration. "This is also an extremely important conversation, and it is one I am eager to have," she said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
L.A.'s mayor declared a homelessness emergency. Now, some at City Hall want to move past it
It was the first and possibly the most dramatic act by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she took office: declaring a city emergency on homelessness. That move, backed by the City Council, gave Bass the power to award no-bid contracts to nonprofit groups and to rent hotels and motels for interim homeless housing. It also allowed Bass to waive regulations limiting the size and scale of certain types of affordable housing. Now, two and a half years into Bass' tenure, some on the council are looking to reassert their authority, by rescinding the homelessness emergency declaration. Councilmember Tim McOsker said he wants to return city government to its normal processes and procedures, as spelled out in the City Charter. Leases, contracts and other decisions related to homelessness would again be taken up at public meetings, with council members receiving testimony, taking written input and ultimately voting. 'Let's come back to why these processes exist,' McOsker said in an interview. 'They exist so the public can be made aware of what we're doing with public dollars.' McOsker said that, even if the declaration is rescinded, the city will need to address 'the remainder of this crisis.' For example, he said, the homeless services that the city currently provides could become permanent. The city could also push county agencies — which provide public health, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment — to do more, McOsker said. Bass, for her part, pushed back on McOsker's efforts this week, saying through an aide that the emergency declaration 'has resulted in homelessness decreasing for the first time in years, bucking statewide and nationwide trends.' 'The Mayor encourages Council to resist the urge of returning to failed policies that saw homelessness explode in Los Angeles,' said Bass spokesperson Clara Karger. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA, reported last summer that homelessness declined by 2.2% in the city of L.A., the first decrease in several years. The number of unsheltered homeless people — those who live in interim housing, such as hotels and motels, but do not have a permanent residence — dropped by more than 10% to 29,275, down from 32,680. The push from McOsker and at least some of his colleagues comes at a pivotal time. Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to pull more than $300 million from LAHSA, the city-county agency that provides an array of services to the unhoused population. Meanwhile, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which has been battling the city in court over its response to the crisis, is pushing for a federal judge to place the city's homelessness initiatives into a receivership. Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance, said the city has 'very little to show' for its emergency declaration in terms of progress on the streets. 'It's our view that a state of emergency around homelessness is appropriate, but that the city is not engaged in conduct that reflects the seriousness of the crisis — and is not doing what it needs to do in order to solve the crisis,' he said. Inside Safe, Bass' signature program to bring homeless people indoors, has moved 4,316 people into interim housing since it began in 2022, according to a LAHSA dashboard covering the period ending April 30. Of that total, nearly 1,040 went into permanent housing, while nearly 1,600 returned to homelessness. Council members voted this week to extend the mayor's homelessness emergency declaration for another 90 days, with McOsker casting the lone dissenting vote. However, they have also begun taking preliminary steps toward ending the declaration. Last week, while approving the city budget, the council created a new bureau within the Los Angeles Housing Department to monitor spending on homeless services. On Tuesday, the council asked city policy analysts to provide strategies to ensure that nonprofit homeless service providers are paid on a timely basis, 'even if there is no longer a declared emergency.' The following day, McOsker and Councilmember Nithya Raman — who heads the council's housing and homeless committee — co-authored a proposal asking city policy analysts to report back in 60 days with a plan addressing the 'operational, legal and fiscal impacts' of terminating the emergency declaration. That proposal, also signed by Councilmembers John Lee and Ysabel Jurado, now heads to Raman's committee for deliberations. While some on the council have already voiced support for repealing the emergency declaration, others say they are open to the idea — but only if there is a seamless transition. 'I want to make sure that if we do wind it down, that we do it responsibly,' said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the southwest San Fernando Valley. Blumenfield wants to protect Executive Directive 1, which was issued by Bass shortly after she declared the local emergency, by enshrining its provisions into city law. The directive lifts height limits and other planning restrictions for 100% affordable housing developments, which charge rents below market rates. Raman said the city must confront a number of issues stemming from the homelessness crisis, such as improving data collection. But she, too, voiced interest in exploring the end of the emergency declaration. 'This is also an extremely important conversation, and it is one I am eager to have,' she said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘We Outside': NYC allocates $30M to transform vacant lots into green spaces
NEW YORK (PIX11)— New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday that $30 million will be allocated to transform vacant lots into green spaces. Mayor Adams also launched 'We Outside Summer,' a new initiative featuring events, investments, and programs across the five boroughs to ensure a safe, enjoyable summer for New Yorkers. More Local News 'We know New Yorkers across the five boroughs are looking for more places to enjoy the warmer weather with friends and loved ones,' said Mayor Adams. 'Today, we're announcing a new effort to turn vacant, abandoned lots into parks — bringing more green spaces to neighborhoods across New York City that don't currently have access to them. This initiative builds on our administration's commitment to put a park within walking distance of a park because access to parks is critical, and as summer arrives, we're working hard to deliver green spaces to the areas most in need across the five boroughs.' The NYC Parks Department submitted Uniform Land Use Review Procedure applications for 44 sites in Brooklyn and Queens. Officials said some neighborhood sites include East New York, Jackson Heights, and East Elmhurst. According to ULURP is New York City's approval process for changes to how land is used, as required by the City Charter. Not all sites will be converted into parkland. Officials said additional sites will be announced in the coming months. The Adams administration says it has committed $80 million to expanding green spaces in the city since taking office. For more information on Mayor Adams' 'We Outside Summer,' click here. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
