Mount Vernon council rejects ordinance that would bar requiring Social Security numbers on rental applications

Mount Vernon City Council members voted 3-4 on April 16 to reject Ordinance 39-12, a proposed amendment to Municipal Code Chapter 5.40 that would have prohibited landlords from requiring a prospective renter’s Social Security number as a condition of tenant screening.

The proposal would have required landlords who request a Social Security number to accept alternative proof of financial eligibility when offered, such as tenant-paid portable screening reports or other proof of income, and included a six-month delay before taking effect to allow for public education, according to the city attorney’s memorandum. City Attorney Kevin Rogerson told the council the ordinance is a single-subject measure drafted at the council’s request and that adoption would require a majority of the full council; under Mount Vernon’s strong-mayor code-city form of government, the mayor does not cast a tie-breaking vote.

Supporters of the ordinance said the measure would remove a barrier that disproportionately affects immigrants, mixed-status families and other residents who lack…