CM Carr questions panel on rollout effectiveness and DOF valuation system

Council Member Zouang.

Is also here, and we want to hear a question from Councilmember Carr.

Thank you, Chair, particularly for presiding over this hearing today.

It's crucially important.

And I'm just here on behalf of the many of the over 900,000 folks who are on that list

inappropriately because so many constituents are in fear and in confusion at a minimum based on the release of their information in a way that's unprecedented.

Everybody in government knows for years the city publishes its tax rolls, but never has it been so easy to get at that information and to give a roadmap.

To individual property owners across the city, many of whom it's the biggest investment they ever made or the biggest investment their family ever made.

And to be made to appear to be victims because of their success as a family, which is why so many of us came here over the generations, is a shame.

And despite what was said in the testimony from the finance department, I do not believe a plain text reading of the law

meant that they needed to publish this list in this way.

They only needed to send out determination letters to those they believe were subject to the tax.

And I couldn't agree more with what was said.

It is a total inversion of the burden of proof for the city to be the ones telling property owners, it's on you to prove that you're actually a resident here.

It's on you to prove that you lease or rent out your property to a residential tenant.

It's completely wrong.

I really want to commend Speaker Menon and the leadership here of the two committees for trying to make sure that this rollout never gets bungled again, because that's exactly what happened.

And in particular, I'm disappointed that we can't ask the Finance Department directly in a hearing today any questions at all, but in particular, another issue that hasn't gotten enough attention, which is, are the Finance Department's evaluations of properties correct?

There are many in this room and on this dais who spent years wading into that debate.

Nobody thinks the finance department's evaluations are correct.

It's a systemic problem that's been wrong for decades.

And now we're relying on that flawed system to determine whether or not certain properties should be subject to the pied-a-terre tax.

And in particular, so many of my neighbors, none of whom...

None of whom meet the property threshold, the financial threshold, to be included on any list with respect to a second home tax.

It just beggars belief that this is where we're at today.

So my question to the panel, whomever wished to ask, is do you believe that this rollout was done effectively or appropriately?

And secondarily, what are your comments on the Department of Finance's evaluation system in a general sense or with particularity to condos, co-ops, or one- and two-, three-family homes?

Councilman, the only word to use is botch.

It was botched.

And just to further your point, Councilman, the weekend that the list was downloadable, I downloaded it.

I downloaded it, I created an app in two hours, I was able to sort it using API information also about age, and I could integrate age integration in if I wanted to create a targeted list.

And I decided not to release it, I kept it locally on my computer because I thought someone could use it with malintent.

If I could do it in two hours and I'm not even a computer programmer, imagine what someone could do who wanted to do harm to New Yorkers.

It's just that easy and it's just wrong.

Councilmember Wong next.