RESOLUTION NO. – 2026
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP ROBINSON, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS PINEDA-ISAAC, DIAZ, AND HODGES:
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A RESOLUTION REQUESTING NEW YORK STATE PASS LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF YONKERS TO IMPOSE A HIGHER TAX RATE ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE VACANT OR ABANDONED
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WHEREAS, vacant and abandoned properties create significant public safety risks, including fire hazards, vandalism, and illegal occupancy; and
WHEREAS, on January 17, 2026 a four-alarm fire started in a vacant home on School Street in Yonkers and quickly spread to multiple buildings decimating an entire block, underscoring the serious risks such neglected properties pose to surrounding neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, The City of Yonkers currently has 167 properties registered with the Department of Housing and Building as vacant or abandoned, representing a measurable and ongoing burden on City services and neighborhood vitality; and
WHEREAS, such properties depress surrounding property values, destabilize neighborhoods, and strain municipal resources, including police, fire, sanitation, and code enforcement services; and
WHEREAS, under current New York State law, the City lacks authority to impose a higher property tax rate on vacant or abandoned properties to account for their disproportionate impact; and
WHEREAS, other jurisdictions around the Country, including Baltimore, Maryland, already tax vacant properties at a rate higher than standard real property taxes to incentivize rehabilitation and productive reuse;
WHEREAS, in New York State, cities including Buffalo, New York are also seeking similar authorization to charge a higher property tax rate on vacant and abandoned properties; and
WHEREAS, the City of Yonkers hereby respectfully calls upon the New York State Legislature to enact legislation authorizing the City of Yonkers to impose a property tax rate of up to three (3) times the standard rate on ...
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