City Council oversight hearing on the pied-à-terre (non‑primary‑residence) property tax rollout drew criticism after the mayor’s administration declined to appear in person; the Department of Finance submitted written testimony and said its commissioner would testify after August 31, while the council said it will send written follow‑up questions before the September exemption deadline. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328
# What’s happening
– The administration declined in‑person testimony at the Council hearing.
– The Department of Finance (DOF) submitted written testimony.
– DOF Commissioner Richard Lee said he would testify after August 31.
Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370
# Why it matters
– About 17,000 property owners received letters saying they might owe the new tax.
– The city published a supplemental role with more than 900,000 properties.
Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3341
# Key details
– Oversight hearing convened August 13, 2026, in the Red Room at City Hall.
– Department of Finance provided written testimony read into the record.
– DOF said it would be prepared to testify in person after August 31, 2026.
– Administration extended the deadline to file exemptions to September 18, 2026.
– The published supplemental role lists more than 900,000 properties; roughly 17,000 owners received notices.
Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3341
The City Council held an oversight hearing about the rollout of the non‑primary‑residence (pied‑à‑terre) tax on August 13, 2026. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328
**Richard Lee — New York City Department of Finance**
– Role: Commissioner, New York City Department of Finance.
– Action: Submitted written testimony on DOF implementation of the pied‑à‑terre tax.
– Dates/numbers: Said he is “prepared and welcome[s] the opportunity to testify after August 31.”
Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370
Council chairs Gail Brewer and Linda Lee opened the hearing and announced that DOF would not appear in person. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328
The Department of Finance provided a written statement that was read into the record. In that statement, Commissioner Richard Lee acknowledged public questions and said DOF continues to engage with elected officials and constituents while implementing the new law. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370
DOF told the council it was prepared to testify in person after August 31, 2026, but it declined to attend while litigation over the law is pending. Council members repeatedly cited the administration’s explanation that ongoing litigation made in‑person testimony inappropriate. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3251
Several council members rejected litigation as a blanket reason to skip oversight. Members noted other city agencies and the law department have testified while litigation was pending and said basic administrative questions do not require disclosure of litigation strategy. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3251; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=4300
Council leadership said it will send the administration a packet of written follow‑up questions responding to public testimony and committee inquiries. The council announced it expects answers to those questions; it also read many of the questions into the record. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=10008
The hearing record shows the council extended the city’s internal deadline for filing exemptions from late August to September 18, 2026, after litigation. The DOF’s written materials and council testimony tied that extension to the ongoing court case. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328
Advocates and witnesses told the council the rollout produced confusion, customer‑service problems, and privacy concerns after the city published a supplemental role of market values and property records covering more than 900,000 properties. The council heard testimony asking how DOF identified roughly 17,000 homeowners who received specific notices. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3341; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3341
At the time of the hearing, DOF had not publicly committed to answering the council’s full set of detailed written questions before the September 18 exemption filing deadline. DOF’s public position in the written testimony was that it welcomed continued engagement and would testify after August 31, 2026; the administration framed its absence as necessary because of litigation. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=1370; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=328
Council members said they will not accept only written testimony and that they will pursue oversight avenues, including follow‑up questions and potential additional hearings. Multiple council members described the administration’s absence as unacceptable and demanded more detailed data on error rates, data sources, and how the supplemental role was compiled. Source: https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3251; https://youtu.be/mQJHP1h1dMo&t=3341
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