Summary of Bill S 2427

Bill Number: S 2427

Title: Authorizes the city of Lockport to add unpaid housing code violation penalties, costs, and fines to such city's annual tax levy

Status: Referred to Local Government

Introduced: January 17, 2025

Classification: Bill

Purpose and Intent

Bill S 2427 aims to provide the city of Lockport with the authority to include unpaid penalties, costs, and fines associated with housing code violations in its annual tax levy. This legislative measure is intended to enhance the city's ability to collect outstanding debts related to housing code enforcement, thereby improving compliance with housing regulations and ensuring that property owners address violations promptly.

Key Provisions

• Authority to Levy: The bill grants the city of Lockport the power to add unpaid housing code violation penalties, costs, and fines directly to the property tax bills of the affected property owners.

• Collection Mechanism: By incorporating these unpaid amounts into the tax levy, the city can utilize existing tax collection processes to recover funds, potentially increasing the efficiency of debt recovery related to housing code violations.

• Impact on Property Owners: Property owners with outstanding penalties or fines for housing code violations will see these amounts reflected in their annual tax bills, which may affect their overall tax liability.

Who Would Be Affected

• Property Owners in Lockport: Individuals and entities owning property in Lockport who have incurred penalties, costs, or fines due to housing code violations will be directly impacted by this bill. They will be required to pay these amounts as part of their property tax obligations.

• City of Lockport: The city government will benefit from improved collection of unpaid housing code violation debts, which may enhance funding for local services and housing enforcement efforts.

Procedural Aspects

• Current Status: As of January 17, 2025, the bill has been referred to the Local Government committee for further consideration.

• Related Legislation: This bill is related to prior-session bills S 4634, S 3626, and S 875, which may have addressed similar issues or provided context for the current legislative proposal.

Conclusion

Bill S 2427 represents a strategic effort by the city of Lockport to strengthen its enforcement of housing codes by allowing the city to recover unpaid fines through property tax levies. This measure is expected to facilitate better compliance with housing regulations and improve the financial health of the city by ensuring that penalties are collected effectively.