[UPDATE: Jan 24] As I prepare to testify before the City Council this Tuesday, I have identified a critical technical flaw in the proposed legislation. The bill’s text relies on outdated population caps that Yonkers has recently outgrown (211k vs the bill’s 210k limit) and Westchester County has outgrown the bill’s 1 million resident limit. In addition to supporting the concept of self-certification, I am now urgently calling on our State Legislators to amend the bill’s language so that Yonkers is not legally excluded from these benefits due to our own population growth. Read on for why this reform is so vital.

We’ve all heard the horror stories. A neighbor wants to renovate their kitchen, a small business owner wants to open a new café, or a family tries to fix a porch. They hire an architect, draw up safe plans, and have the money ready. And then… they wait.

And wait.

Sometimes for six months. Sometimes for a year. Not because their plans are dangerous, but because they are stuck in a pile of paperwork at City Hall, waiting for a municipal employee to manually review a standard sink relocation.

This Tuesday, January 27th, the Yonkers City Council has a chance to change that. And I’ll be there to support them.

The Solution: S.7217 / A.7675

Buried in the Albany legislative docket are two bills—S.7217 (Martinez) and A.7675 (Stern)—that sound dry but are actually revolutionary. They authorize municipalities like Yonkers to adopt a program called “Self-Certification” (or Professional Certification).

The concept is simple: instead of waiting months for a city employee to review every line of a routine renovation plan, the city allows licensed State Registered Architects and Professional Engineers to certify the plans themselves. These professionals—who put their licenses on the line—attest that the work meets all building codes.

If they sign off, the permit is issued. Work starts. Contractors get paid. Families get their kitchens back.

The “Dangerous Experiment” Myth

Critics often argue that this is a “privatization of safety” that will lead to dangerous buildings. It’s a scary soundbite, but the data proves it wrong.

This isn’t a radical experiment. It’s a proven standard that thriving cities use to respect their citizens’ time:

Phoenix, AZ: Implemented a self-certification program that reduced review times for eligible projects from months to as little as 24 hours. They didn’t see a spike in unsafe buildings; they saw a spike in housing and economic growth.

Chicago, IL: Uses a similar program for residential and commercial projects with a standard 10-day turnaround, allowing small businesses to open months sooner than they would otherwise.

New York City: Has used “Professional Certification” for years. While opponents like to cite scary audit statistics, a closer look reveals that the vast majority of “errors” found in audits are administrative paperwork issues, not life-safety defects.

The bill includes a mandatory Audit Program. The city doesn’t stop checking; they just stop checking everything before it starts. Instead of reviewing 100% of plans (and delaying 100% of projects), they randomly audit 20% of them thoroughly. If an architect is caught cutting corners, they lose their self-cert privileges and can be reported to the State Education Department. It’s trust, but verify.

The Yonkers “Home Rule” Moment

Here is the political twist: This bill was introduced by Long Island legislators (Senator Monica Martinez and Assemblymember Steve Stern) to help their suburban communities. But they included Yonkers in the text because they know we face the same suburban/urban challenges.

However, Albany operates on a principle called “Home Rule.” The State Legislature generally won’t pass a bill affecting a specific city’s powers unless that city asks for it.

That is why Item #6 on this Tuesday’s Yonkers City Council agenda is so critical. It is a resolution formally asking Albany to pass this bill. It is our “permission slip” to Senator Martinez to move the bill out of the Local Government Committee.

It is rare to see this level of alignment. We have a Mayor (Mike Spano) who wants to build a legacy of revitalization. We have a City Council—led by President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and Majority Leader John Rubbo—that has unanimously sponsored this resolution because they know their constituents are tired of delays. And we have trade unions who know that every day a permit is delayed is a day their members aren’t earning wages.

What I’m Doing (And What You Can Do)

This morning, I sent emails to Mayor Spano, the entire City Council, and our friends at the Building & Realty Institute and the Building Construction Trades Council.

My message was simple: We need this reform. Since then I realized that the bill as written doesn’t apply to Yonkers. So, but we also need you to fix the population math so it actually applies to us. I am urging them to pass the Home Rule Request and ensure the State bill is amended to reflect the 2020 Census data for Yonkers and Westchester. Without that technical fix, our city is too large for the current bill text, and we will miss out on these benefits entirely.

I will be attending the City Council meeting this Tuesday night to testify in person. If you care about “good government” that actually works for residents, I hope you’ll join me.

Let’s send a message to Albany: Yonkers is ready to build—so please make sure the law lets us.

Link to Meeting Agenda