Latest news with #JaimeBaezJr.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reading City Council calls for increase in PA minimum wage
City Council is calling on the state Legislature to increase Pennsylvania's minimum wage. Council recently unanimously adopted a resolution introduced by Councilman Jaime Baez Jr. urging the state Senate to approve House Bill 1150. The bill, proposed by state Rep. G. Roni Green, a Philadelphia Democrat, would raise the hourly minimum wage to $15 from $7.25, beginning Jan. 1. It would also require that any future minimum wage legislation include an annual cost of living adjustment and lift the current state restrictions that keep municipalities from setting their own minimum wage standards or other wage-related regulations. 'I want to thank Rep. Roni Green for presenting this, and I want to thank the House Representatives for continuing to pass not only one year but multiple years of minimum wage legislation,' Baez said. Baez, who last year introduced a similar resolution also passed by council, said previous efforts to raise the minimum wage got stuck in the state Senate. Reading City Council calls for increase in Pennsylvania's minimum hourly wage 'So I urge the public, those who are watching, those here present, including ourselves as councilors, and those present here in the audience, to reach out to your state senators to apply some pressure,' Baez said. 'Make sure you're emailing, calling, letting them know that this is necessary.' Green in a February memo to fellow House members said it is impossible to raise a family on Pennsylvania's current minimum wage. 'Even households of one cannot feed themselves, pay rent and utilities, and save for their future on a $7.25 per hour wage,' she wrote. Pennsylvania last raised its hourly minimum wage to $7.25 from $7.15 in 2009, when the federal minimum wage was increased to $7.25 from $6.55. Currently, 34 states, territories and districts have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures' website, The District of Columbia, at $17 per hour, has the highest minimum wage, followed by Washington at $16.28 per hour. New Jersey's new hourly minimum wage of $15.13 for most employees took effect at the start of last year. For seasonal and small employers, that state's minimum is lower: $13.73 up from $12.93. New York also raised its hourly minimum wage, effective Jan. 1, 2024, to $16 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County and $15 in the rest of the state. 'I have to say that I think we all love Pennsylvania, but sometimes Pennsylvania is way behind a lot of other states in many ways, Council President Donna Reed said. 'The fact that all our surrounding states have pretty much improved their minimum wage and we are still at a minimum wage that is 20-plus years old is absurd.' Reed thanked Baez for introducing the resolution and urged city residents to contact their state senators and ask them to adopt the bill. 'Whenever you can, however you can, call them, write emails, get to Harrisburg, visit their offices,' she said. Several residents, including representatives of the advocacy organization Berks Stands Up, spoke to council during the public comment period. They urged council members to support the resolution. Jae Elizabeth Giesen said she has a college degree and has held a job in Reading for the past eight years. She would like to move out of her parents' home, but at current rental rates she cannot afford an apartment on her own. 'The only reason I'm able to keep myself going right now is because I have the support of my parents,' she said, urging council to pass the resolution. City Managing Director Jack Gombach read a statement from Mayor Eddie Moran, who also urged the Senate to take action to increase the minimum wage. The city raised the minimum starting wages for its employees, the mayor said, because it was the right thing to do. 'Now it's time for the state to follow,' he said. 'I strongly support raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 an hour and urge the Legislature to pass HB 1150. Let's make sure everyone who works hard has a fair shot to build a better life.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City Council turns down funding for Opportunity House affordable housing
City Council has turned down Opportunity House's request for funding to buy a 20-unit apartment building for affordable housing for working adults. Council at its regular meeting Monday voted 4-3 against allocating $2.89 million in HOME-American Rescue Plan Act funding to the nonprofit to purchase the property at 100 S. Fourth St. After tabling the motion three times over the past six weeks, Councilors Jaime Baez Jr., Vanessa Campos and Rafael Nunez voted in favor of the resolution. Council President Donna Reed and Councilors Wesley Butler, Chris Miller and Melissa Ventura voted no. The vote came after numerous community members and clients of Opportunity House spoke at a series of meetings, sharing their personal struggles and imploring council to approve the allocation. Opportunity House clients ask City Council to support affordable housing project in Reading Council members said the owner/developer of the building, Dream Ventures PA II LLC, an entity of Heights Advisors, Brooklyn, led them to believe the apartments would be rented at market-rates. They raised concerns about the removal of the property from the city's tax rolls should it be bought by the nonprofit. At a meeting earlier this month, Modesto Fiume, executive director of Opportunity House, said the organization would pay taxes on the property. The nonprofit, which owns and operates a shelter at 430 N Second St., also owns five rental units on which taxes are paid, he said. Opportunity House also operates Eckert House, a temporary code-blue shelter, in a former convent at 1500 Eckert Ave. that also is owned by Dream Ventures. Several residents of Eckert House said they will be forced to live in their cars if the facility closes at the end of April as scheduled. Prior to the vote, council approved an amendment by Baez that would have required Opportunity House to pay the full amount of the property tax on the South Fourth Street building and eliminated a requirement for an independent appraisal. Council members have expressed concern about the value of the property compared to the asking price. Fiume said the building was appraised as part of the nonprofit's application for a swing loan from Fleetwood Bank. The appraised value was $3.3 million, he said, more than the purchase price of $2.89 million. During council's committee of the whole meeting earlier Monday, council solicitor Michael Gombar said the county's reassessment of the renovated building is $461,100. An assessed value is not the same as fair market value, he explained. However, Gombar said, there is a state-recognized formula, known as a common level ratio, which can be used to calculate a possible fair market value and is sometimes used for legal purposes. Using the formula, he said, would result in a potential fair market value of $1,268,025, a figure far less than the purchase price. 'That is not a reflection of what the fair market value really might be for the property,' Gombar said. 'I'm just throwing it out there as something that can be used in the legal world.' With the new assessment, Gombar said, the annual property tax income for the city would be about $8,400. City Managing Director Jack Gombach read a statement from Mayor Eddie Moran in support of the resolution. The mayor reaffirmed his administration's commitment to building more affordable housing and addressing the blight throughout the city. Following Monday's meeting, Moran issued the following statement: 'My vision for our city is rooted in progress—neighborhoods that are safe and welcoming, housing that meets the needs of all our residents, and a downtown that's alive with energy, growth and opportunity. 'While I'm disappointed in tonight's vote, I remain focused on that vision. This project was one step in a broader effort to revitalize our city—to create housing that brings people back into our neighborhoods and supports the small businesses that make our community special. 'We will continue to pursue bold ideas, form strong partnerships, and push forward with purpose. The path to revitalization is never easy, but my commitment to this work—and to the people of this city—remains strong. Together, we will build a brighter future, and together, we can do more.' Reading City Council tables a $2.89 million grant for housing for shelter clients The city received $3.5 million in HOME-ARP money about three years ago and has until 2030 to allocate the funds. The federal funding is earmarked to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability. Baez said failing to approve the resolution could have broader consequences. 'Right now, we cannot deny that we have an erratic individual who is currently in the White House and whom we cannot trust,' he said. 'I wake up every day asking, what's next, and therefore this is funding that I feel that we just can't have an opportunity to lose. We can't miss it.' Reed and Butler said they could not support the resolution due to the purchase price. 'When you look at this full amount, there are monies that could be further used by Opportunity House for properties that are maybe dispersed throughout the city, that give a better sense of community to the folks who are in need of it,' Reed said. 'I'm not uncomfortable with finding a place for people to live, but I'm uncomfortable with a great deal involved here.' Reed did not elaborate on her discomfort and did not respond to a request for further comment.
