Lee addresses administration's absence and litigation concerns
Lee explains that due to ongoing litigation, the administration is not testifying today. She says the Council will send written questions and looks forward to engagement after litigation resolves. She outlines the hearing's goal of hearing from advocates and affected owners.
Following litigation initiated by a group of city homeowners, the administration extended the deadline for property owners to file exemptions from late August to September 18th.
Still, even with the extension, we seek greater guidance for those impacted to ensure that this rollout is smooth.
Given this ongoing litigation, I want to note again for the record that the administration will not be participating in today's hearing, and we understand the sensitivity of testifying while this matter is before the courts, and we look forward to continued engagement
with the administration once the litigation is resolved and to providing answers to city homeowners directly impacted by the rollout of the tax.
In the meantime, today's hearing will afford us an opportunity to hear from advocates, affected property owners, and other stakeholders about the impact of this rollout to date and how to ensure that the Department of Finance's implementation of this surcharge is fair,
transparent, and legally sound going forward.
We intend to send the administration written questions for follow-up in response to testimony shared by the public and questions prepared by myself and my colleagues.
And I want to thank all the staff who helped make this hearing possible, especially the Council's Committee on Finance and Committee on Governmental Operations in preparing today's hearing.
And now I turn it back over to Chair Brewer.