[WEBINAR] Who Does What? Defining Proper Roles for Staff and Elected Officials
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
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
California’s housing crisis has necessitated innovative legislative solutions at the state and local level to increase the supply of affordable housing across the state. Cities are required by state law to plan for a...more
Our last post described the changes driven by the New York City Council in its effort to reduce the number and duration of sidewalk sheds found across the city. In addition to the sheer number of sheds in place at any given...more
Mayoral Candidates Debate as Early Voting Opens - In the final Democratic mayoral debate, Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani debated over experience and ethics. Cuomo, Mamdani, Brad Lander, Adrienne Adams, Zellnor Myrie, Scott...more
City Council Passes FY26 Budget, HOME Bills- During their final meeting before summer recess, the City Council passed a staggering 58 bills, including the FY26 Capital and Operating Budgets, business and wage tax cuts, and...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
That New York City, in particular Manhattan, is awash in sidewalk sheds is news to no one. This spring, the New York City Council passed several new bills with the intention of curtailing the number of sheds, as more than...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
On May 28, 2025, the New York City Council approved the city-led Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP, pronounced "aim up"), rezoning a low-density industrial stretch of Atlantic Avenue and surrounding blocks in Brooklyn’s...more
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released the City's new Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) Application. The program requirements and process for the new UAP program are very...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
New Legislative Session Begins- Pennsylvania lawmakers began the 2025-26 legislative session this week, with Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) reelected as House Speaker, securing the position with bipartisan support...more
The NYC Campaign Finance Board has denied public campaign funds for Eric Adams’ reelection bid. The Board cited “detrimental” conduct from Adams in their denial. This ruling means that Adams will be ineligible to receive...more
Yesterday, the City Council (by a vote of 31 to 20) approved the modified City of Yes for Housing Opportunity text amendment (COYHO), which aims to combat the housing crisis by making it possible to build a little more...more
NYPD Commissioner and Adams Chief Counsel Resign- Over the weekend, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and Mayor Adams’ Chief Counsel, Lisa Zornberg, resigned their positions. Caban resigned at the request of City Hall, shortly...more
Mayor Adams has appointed Robert Tucker as the new Commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). Tucker succeeds Laura Kavanagh, who served in the role for less than two years. Tucker was most recently...more
Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a legislative package improving the safety of parking garages and building...more
Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed legislation prohibiting provisions in employment agreements that shorten the period...more
Mayor Adams and several other mayors throughout New York State testified at the state’s joint legislative budget hearing for local governments. Also known as “Tin Cup Day,” local governments submit their requests for...more
Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council approved legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person’s height...more
NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation- Last Tuesday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council approved legislation requiring the...more
NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation- Last Wednesday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council voted on the Language Access Act, which...more
On October 27, the Cincinnati City Council adopted a prohibition on contributions from certain persons seeking certain development approvals from the Council, but the effective date was delayed until the City appropriates...more
In advance of their first official meeting of 2020, members of Philadelphia City Council outlined their legislative priorities, and several say they intend to introduce legislation to increase protections for employees....more
Local officials handling recreational marijuana issues will find guidance in two advice letters issued by the Fair Political Practices Commission in the wake of last month’s passage of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of...more