Councilors preview two new ordinances to revise delinquent-tax sales and dedicate roll-off revenue for affordable housing

Councilmembers discussed a package of forthcoming ordinances intended to address both restitution and long-term funding for affordable housing, saying the administration had agreed to draft two new ordinances and withdraw the current versions once the new language is presented and adopted.

Councilmember Robertson summarized recent meetings among council and administration officials and said the group had agreed on steps to address “vague legislation that has caused some confusion.” RJ Warren, council chief of staff, told the meeting that the council would move forward that evening on a restitution payment connected with Ordinance 2025-188 and that two new ordinances would be drafted: one to clarify how delinquent tax sales would be reinstituted with additional protections, and a second to specify roll-off revenue as a dedicated source for affordable-housing funding and to clarify administrative details for that program.

Councilmembers framed the objectives as preventing the counterproductive sale of homes belonging to people who are making good-faith attempts to pay taxes but are overwhelmed by rapidly rising assessments. Robertson said the new ordinance language would consider protections for homeowners legitimately trying to keep up with assessments. She also said administration and council staff had committed to completing the drafting work within 30 days.

Councilmembers asked for additional detail on past affordable-housing investments and district-level expenditures; one member requested the amount expended by district over the past five years and how money was spent. The clerk and staff committed to retrieving those figures and to consulting legal and finance teams about statutes and payment-plan enforcement for delinquent taxes.

Why it matters: The ordinances discussed would alter local procedures for delinquent-tax sales and create or confirm a dedicated stream of funding for affordable housing. Both topics affect homeowners at risk of tax-sale loss and the city’s long-term affordable-housing financing.

What’s next: Administration staff will draft the two ordinances and present them to council. Councilmembers asked for supporting data from finance and legal to clarify past expenditures, the mechanics of payment plans, and statutory limits on tax-sale procedures. No formal final vote on the new ordinances was recorded in the informal session excerpt provided.