Just try me!
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams threw down the gauntlet Thursday as Mayor Eric Adams eyes a veto of a sweeping package of legislation that expanded the Big Apple’s rental voucher program for the poor.
Hizzoner fiercely opposes the legislation, which he claims could cost taxpayers as much as $17 billion over five years, but only has until Monday to decide if he will allow it to lapse into law or if he will attempt to block it and find the votes to sustain a veto.
“You know, the four bills were passed with a veto-proof majority Council,” the speaker told reporters during a press conference before the legislative body’s scheduled meeting. “A veto at this point would amount to political theater.”
“Our city certainly can’t see or can’t afford to see more New Yorkers become homeless and lose their homes and join the already high shelter population, which is growing by the moment,” she added. “We are preparing to override a veto to confront this crisis.”
Lawmakers ignored Mayor Adams’ protestations in May and overwhelmingly backed the bills.
The package would end a provision that requires people to stay in a shelter for 90 days before becoming eligible for a voucher, a provision that the mayor eventually embraced.
That sparked widespread speculation among lawmakers and homelessness advocates that Adams was attempting to find votes to sustain a veto of the rest of the package, which would allow New Yorkers facing eviction to apply for a housing voucher without first entering the shelter system, would bar landlords from deducting the cost of utility bills from a voucher and increased the income-level cutoffs to qualify for aid.
City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
