Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse Common Council rejected a proposal that would have restricted evictions and rent increases by landlords.
City lawmakers finally voted Monday on the Good Cause Eviction Law, a measure signed into state law in April 2024.
The vote comes after months of organizing by tenants advocates and weeks of heated debate and pushback from landlords.
The law first came under consideration in Syracuse in August 2024. Councilors withdrew the proposal a year ago for further research. Earlier this month, newly elected Common Councilor Hanah Ehrenreich re-introduced the legislation along with four co-sponsors.
In front of a full house and nine police officers Monday, four city councilors voted no: Marty Nave, Patrona Jones-Rowser, Donna Moore and Rasheada Caldwell. Councilors Jimmy Monto, Corey Williams, Chol Majok and Ehrenreich voted yes.
Local laws need five votes to pass. The council currently has eight voting members and one vacancy.
In this case, a tie-breaking vote by the council president is not a clear option.
City lawyers told Council President Rita Paniagua that she can't break a tie vote on local laws because it's not specifically spelled out in the city charter. The rarely used tie-breaking power for a council president is explicitly authorized for votes on resolutions and ordinances. The charter does not mention local laws.
As Councilors Moore and Jones-Rowser explained their "no" votes, some people in the crowd shouted "shame."
Ehrenreich asked people in the audience to raise their hands if they or someone they know would have been protected by the law. More than a dozen people raised their hands.
Good Cause would allow tenants to legally challenge rent increases that exceed a range between 5% and 10% annually and provide protections against retaliatory evictions.
Proponents say the law protects tenants against exorbitant rent hikes or not having leases renewed if they complain about neglected maintenance. Critics say existing laws provide adequate protection, and Good Cause would discourage investment in new housing and limit landlords' ability to manage their property.
More than 100 people showed up for a public "town hall" style meeting on the proposal last week. Speakers were evenly divided on the law. More than a dozen landlords said it would hurt mom-and-pop property owners locally. Tenants and advocates said rejecting the law would worsen Syracuse's homelessness crisis and ignore the realities of skyrocketing rents in the city.
In New York, 19 municipalities have adopted Good Cause, including Binghamton, Rochester and Ithaca.