[WEBINAR] Who Does What? Defining Proper Roles for Staff and Elected Officials
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
We start our August Alert with some potentially very good news. The RENTAL Act, a bill to reform TOPA, passed its first vote by the DC Council on July 28, 2025. The RENTAL Act includes, among other things, a blanket exemption...more
On June 30, the City Council formally adopted the $115.9 billion FY 2026 budget. The budget includes funding to pilot a new free child care program for children under 2 years old, along with a significant increase in City...more
On June 20, 2025, the Adams Administration and the Department of City Planning (DCP) initiated public engagement for the 'Manhattan Plan,' a proposal to add 100,000 new homes in Manhattan over the next decade. The Plan aims...more
The San Diego City Council voted on March 4, 2025, to begin the process of revising its Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bonus Program (ADU Bonus Program or Program), which has served, to date, as one of the state’s most...more
On the evening of Thursday, June 5, the Philadelphia City Council granted preliminary approval to several bills related to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.8 billion FY26 City Budget with minimal changes to the initial proposal,...more
FY26 Budget Negotiations Entering HOME Stretch - Thursday marks the final opportunity for the City Council to advance bills—including those tied to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $6.7 billion proposed budget and Housing...more
NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation - Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a slate of bills aimed at...more
NYPD to Launch New Quality of Life Division - Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that the New York Police Department will be forming a new Quality of Life Division. The new division will unite officers...more
Mayor Parker Announces Continued Support for SEPTA Fare Subsidies -Mayor Cherelle Parker announced plans to maintain funding for SEPTA fare subsidy programs that provide City employees and low-income residents with free rides...more
Last week, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the appointment of Tyrell Brown as Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs, Andy Toy as Director of the Home Appraisal Program, Robin Torrance as Director of Pan Hellenic & HBCU Engagement, and...more
The City of Leesburg has experienced significant growth over the past few years and has reported that over 30,000 single-family residential lots have been approved and remain undeveloped. In response, a draft moratorium is...more
Last Wednesday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a bill that will shift the responsibility for broker fee payment to the party that...more
NYS Lawmakers Pass FY25 Budget- State lawmakers in New York passed the $237B FY25 state budget, reflecting an increase of $8B from FY24. The budget will retroactively be in effect from April 1, 2024 to March 30, 2025....more
Members of the New York City Council are looking to accomplish what the New York State Legislature could not – proposing various bans on the use of non-competes in New York City. On February 28, 2024, members of the New York...more
The first meeting of 2024 back at City Hall — also the first with new City Council President Kenyatta Johnson (District 2) at the dais — saw the introduction of several new bills, including proposed regulations on...more
Last month, the City of Detroit began the process of considering a revised adult use marijuana ordinance. Application processing for recreational marijuana licenses under the City’s prior ordinance was previously enjoined on...more
On June 17th, Philadelphia City Council approved amendments to the budget that Mayor Kenney initially presented in April. City Council is adding $89 million in additional spending, and significant changes to the budget...more
Council Approves Bonds to Finance Neighborhood Preservation Initiative - On Thursday, City Council passed legislation that authorized $400 million in bonds to finance the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI). The...more
As previously announced, the New York City Council has introduced an expansive package of COVID-19 bills that, among other things, propose sweeping protections for “essential” workers. The significance of this proposed...more
As reported by the New York Times, the New York City Council announced that it will introduce a COVID-19 relief package aimed at protecting small businesses, essential workers, tenants and the homeless....more
As previously discussed here, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace has drawn scrutiny from regulatory bodies and activist groups who have expressed concern that such technology may not neutrally screen...more
The DC City Council has proposed two bills intended to make it easier for condominium associations and unit owners to pursue warranty claims against developers and obtain release of warranty funds....more
The New York City Council is considering a bill that would expand the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) to provide eligible employees with “personal time” that could be used for any reason. The bill would also expand...more
The New York City Council has passed the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act (the “Act”), a package of bills aimed at addressing and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The legislation is now awaiting the signature...more
New York City Public Advocate Letitia James has introduced legislation before the City Council that would amend the New York City Human Rights Law to make it an unlawful employment practice for employers to request job...more