Attorney General James Announces Takedown of Western New York Drug Trafficking Ring

 

AG’s Investigation Seizes 10 Kilograms of Cocaine and Approximately 250 Grams of Fentanyl and Heroin

17 Individuals Charged With 117 Crimes, Including Trafficking of Cocaine From Puerto Rico 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the takedown of a major drug trafficking ring that distributed large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin across Western New York and Puerto Rico. An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) recovered more than 10 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $500,000 and about 250 grams of fentanyl and heroin worth an estimated $12,500. The investigation found that the narcotics were allegedly shipped from Puerto Rico to Western New York, where defendants distributed the drugs to resellers who sold them across the region. 17 individuals were charged with 117 crimes for their roles in the drug trafficking operation, which was active in Erie, Monroe, Niagara, and Onondaga Counties, as well as Puerto Rico.

“My office continues to dismantle dangerous drug trafficking rings across our state, taking deadly amounts of fentanyl and other drugs off our streets,” said Attorney General James. “Today’s takedown should remind all New Yorkers that we will stop at nothing to protect our communities from life-threatening drugs. I thank my partners in law enforcement for their continued work to keep New Yorkers safe.”

The OAG’s investigation began in September 2024 and originally focused on narcotics trafficking on the lower west side of Buffalo. The investigation revealed that Oscar Romero, Victor Quinones, Hector Oquendo, and Raymond Pizarro Rivera were supplying cocaine to resellers in Western New York. Sources from Puerto Rico allegedly mailed the defendants the narcotics in custom boxes that each contained two-kilogram bricks and were shipped to various addresses in the region. The defendants would then process the narcotics for resale and sell to resellers and users across Western New York. Resellers were contacted via audio and text messages to coordinate meeting locations, which included a barbershop in Cheektowaga and local restaurants in Buffalo. In messages with resellers, the defendants used codewords to describe the drugs including, “soft” for powder cocaine and “F” to describe fentanyl.

11 individuals from across Western New York were charged for their roles as resellers in the drug trafficking operation. These defendants would pick up the shipments from the agreed pick-up locations and prepare the narcotics for resale. Preparations often included repacking a kilogram brick of cocaine into smaller packages of various weights. Those charged for their roles as resellers include Erik Arias, Richard Calderon, Jesus Oliveras Feliciano, Shirley Lopez, Edwin Maldonado, J.A. Cesari McDougall, Arami Morales, Wilfredo Morales, Edward Parmer, Luis Pumarejo, and Justino Santos.

Approximately eight kilograms of cocaine were seized from packages mailed to various locations in Western New York. Three packages mailed from Puerto Rico that contained six kilograms of cocaine were seized by the United States Postal Inspectors in Onondaga County, and two kilograms were seized at a traffic stop in Erie County. In addition to those eight kilograms, two additional kilograms of cocaine were seized from a second traffic stop in Erie County, and approximately 250 grams of fentanyl and heroin were seized as part of the investigation.

Bags of cocaine seized in the investigation. 

The investigation was led by OCTF in partnership with the New York State Police (NYSP), as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including NYSP Troop A Violent Gang Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET), NYSP Special Investigations Unit Buffalo (SIU), the United States Postal Inspectors (USPI), U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Erie County Crime Analysis Center (ECAC), and the U.S. Marshals. The year-long investigation included covert surveillance and hundreds of hours of wiretaps of more than two dozen target phones, aimed at rooting out fentanyl and cocaine dealers operating in Western New York and Puerto Rico.

“Due to crucial interagency coordination, we have ended a highly organized international drug trafficking operation and have removed numerous criminals from our streets,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “These rings are often sophisticated, and it takes tenacious investigators, and intuitive and meticulous police work to identify, investigate, and not only disrupt them – but dismantle them. We will continue to work with the Attorney General’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to intercept those who circumvent the law at the expense of our communities.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to combat illicit drugs in the mail,” said Justin Page, Acting Inspector-in-Charge for the Boston Division. “The arrest of these individuals demonstrates our commitment to keeping these and other highly addictive drugs from destroying lives.”

The 117-count indictment unsealed today in Erie County Court charges the defendants with crimes for their involvement in the narcotics trafficking operation, including various counts of Criminal Sale and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance (class A, B, C, D felonies) as well as Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a class B felony). The following individuals were charged in today’s indictment:

• Erik Arias, 33, of Buffalo, NY;
• Richard Calderon Cruz AKA Richard Calderon, AKA Richard Cruz, 41, of Cheektowaga, NY;
• Jesus Oliveras Feliciano AKA Jesus Oliveras Felician, 37, of Buffalo, NY; 
• Luis Galarza, Jr., 40, of Buffalo, NY;
• Shirley Lopez, 49, of Buffalo, NY;
• Edwin Maldonado, 59, of Lackawanna, NY;
• A. Cesari McDougall, 54, of Buffalo, NY;
• Arami Morales, 30, of Rochester, NY;
• Wilfredo Morales, 64, of Buffalo, NY;
• Angel Oquendo AKA Angel Alejandro Oquendo AKA Angel Alejandrooquendo, 48, of Puerto Rico;
• Hector Oquendo AKA Hector Alejandro Oquendo AKA Hector Alejandrooquendo, 56, of Buffalo, NY;
• Edward Parmer, 48, of Niagara Falls, NY;
• Luis Pumarejo, 44, of Buffalo, NY;
• Victor Quinones, 50, of Buffalo, NY;
• Raymond Pizarro Rivera, 28, last known address is in Buffalo, NY;
• Oscar Romero, 46, of Buffalo, NY; and
• Justino Santos, 40, of Buffalo, NY.

Victor Quinones and Luis Galarza, Jr.’s distribution operation resulted in, among other charges, the charge of Operating as a Major Trafficker, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. 

Today’s takedown is the latest in the Attorney General’s SURGE Initiative (Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic) to root out violent drug trafficking. Since launching in 2017, SURGE has taken 1,052 alleged traffickers off the streets.

The investigation was directed by Troop A VGNET and SIU Buffalo, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, OCTF Detective Thomas Fournier, and former OCTF Detective Paul Randall, under the supervision of OCTF Supervising Detective Ever Quinones with the assistance of the U.S. Army National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, all under the supervision of former OCTF Assistant Chief John Monte, Assistant Chief Ismael Hernandez, and Deputy Chief Andrew Boss. Special assistance was provided by OAG’s Special Operations Unit, which is a part of the Investigations Bureau. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.  

ICE Lodges Detainer for Criminal Illegal Alien Charged with Stabbing Two People at a Burger King in Florida

 

This illegal alien was allowed into the country under the Biden Administration

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking officials in Bay County, Florida to not release a criminal illegal alien charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after stabbing two people at a Burger King.

According to local reporting, the incident took place on August 13 in Panama City Beach. The suspect, Shaquiel Sheldon Williams, an illegal alien from Jamaica, began arguing with employees at the Burger King after he refused to pay for his food. When employees tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation, Williams stabbed two of them before fleeing on foot. Police arrested him the same day. Both victims were taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Shaqiuel Sheldon Williams

Williams has been charged with TWO counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. ICE lodged a detainer with the Bay County Jail the same day he was arrested.

“This criminal illegal alien from Jamaica now faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after he stabbed two Burger King employees,” said a DHS Spokesperson. “If it weren’t for the Biden Administration letting him in, he never would have been in our country and this attack never would have happened. ICE will work with our partners in Florida to make sure this thug is removed from our country after he faces justice.”

Williams first came to the United States in December 2023 after he was lawfully admitted by the Biden Administration. He remained in the country illegally after he overstayed the authorized period in January 2024.

Illinois Man Sentenced to Life for Multiple Drug Charges, Including Drug-Induced Homicide

 

A Danville, Illinois, man, Marcus “Slim” McKinney, 50, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on three drug trafficking charges, including his involvement in a drug conspiracy that resulted in the overdose death of Maggie Avelar on Aug. 19, 2023, and the overdose of another victim who suffered serious bodily harm on April 15, 2023. 

McKinney was also sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment on another drug trafficking charge and twenty years of imprisonment on separate charges for maintaining drug-involved premises, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. 

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, the judge considered evidence from McKinney’s November 2025 jury trial showing that McKinney was released by the federal Bureau of Prisons to an address on South State Street in Danville, Illinois, on April 6, 2023, on conditions of home confinement, including location monitoring with an ankle monitor. From that date until his arrest in Springfield, Illinois, on June 26, 2024, McKinney conspired with others to distribute crystal methamphetamine (“ice”), cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, including exchanging the drugs with women for sex. 

The jury found that over the weekend of April 15, 2023, McKinney distributed an opioid to a woman who overdosed and would have died if not treated with Narcan, an opioid reversal agent, by the Danville Fire Department and paramedics with Arrow Ambulance. McKinney had falsely told the woman the substance only contained cocaine. The trial evidence showed that same weekend three other people overdosed on drugs provided by McKinney, including another fatal overdose. McKinney continued using the South State Street residence for the use and distribution of illegal drugs until he moved to Kentucky Avenue in Danville later that summer.

The trial evidence further established that McKinney used the premises on Kentucky Avenue to continue his ongoing drug conspiracy, including using and distributing drugs from the residence. The trial jury found that on Aug. 19, 2023, McKinney distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl – a mixture McKinney referred to as a “Hot Shot” – to Avelar, resulting in her death at the Kentucky Avenue home. The next morning, McKinney and his brother, James “Brownski” Young, engaged in obstruction of justice by lying to the Danville Police Department about the circumstances surrounding Avelar’s death to attempt to avoid law enforcement learning about McKinney’s true involvement in the overdose. A DVR surveillance system seized from the residence and played at trial showed McKinney and Young discussing their plan to mislead the police and then their subsequent lies. Young was previously sentenced to 68 months of imprisonment for obstruction of justice, as well as his own drug trafficking activities.

In September 2023, the Bureau of Prisons required McKinney to go to a halfway house located in Springfield, Illinois, due to violations of his conditions of home confinement in Danville. McKinney continued his drug distribution conspiracy in Springfield, including distributing over one pound of methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source on June 20, 2024. Six days later, DEA agents seized over two pounds of methamphetamine and over five kilograms of cocaine from storage lockers in Springfield that McKinney had opened under the confidential source’s name. 

The jury further found that McKinney engaged in witness tampering in January of 2025 while his federal charges were pending, when he wrote a letter to a potential witness urging her to contact McKinney’s attorney and falsely say that other witnesses were lying about McKinney’s drug activities and were trying to get her to lie as well.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Maggie Avelar’s sister addressed McKinney, telling him “You robbed [Maggie’s’s] parents of their daughter, her siblings of their sister, her nieces and nephews of their aunt, and most importantly, you robbed her son of his mother. . . . She was the person I looked up to as a little girl – the one who brushed my hair, cooked me dinner, and comforted me when I needed it most. She was a loving mother to the luckiest boy, a boy who has been robbed of the honor of having his mother here today.”

In requesting a life sentence, the United States stressed that McKinney had five prior felony drug trafficking convictions, including two prior federal convictions, and that McKinney was still completing a previously imposed eight-year federal drug trafficking sentence and wearing an ankle location monitor when he committed these numerous crimes, which resulted in multiple overdoses, including the death of Avelar. The United States also argued that McKinney had never apologized to or expressed remorse for all the people his crimes had hurt.

At sentencing, Judge Bruce overruled McKinney’s objection to the mandatory life sentence, finding that he was required to impose a life sentence based on McKinney’s drug conspiracy conviction, his prior felony drug offenses, and the jury findings that McKinney distributed drugs that resulted in serious bodily injury and death. In imposing three life sentences for three of McKinney’s drug trafficking convictions, Judge Bruce noted that McKinney’s conduct showed that he “doesn’t care” about his crimes or the people he hurt. 

“Opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, pose an extreme peril to human life. The defendant’s distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine secretly mixed with fentanyl resulted in multiple overdose deaths and shows a chilling disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “Our office is dedicated to pursing justice for victims of drug trafficking and to protecting our communities from those, like the defendant, who seek to sow harm. We are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable work on this case.”

“Marcus McKinney turned addiction into a business model and human life into collateral damage,” said Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “Even while under federal supervision, he pushed poison into our communities, left victims and families devastated, and then tried to obstruct justice. HSI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who profit from addiction, violence and death, and we will not stop until they are held accountable.”

The case investigation was conducted by the Danville Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the Illinois State Police; the Springfield Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

THREE MEN INDICTED IN “OPERATION LIFE SAVER” FOR OVER 50 THEFTS OF VEHICLES, AIRBAGS AND SENSORS

 

Thefts Completed in Under a Minute; $110,000 in Property Stolen

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that three men have been charged in a 201-count indictment with stealing cars and auto parts valued at over $110,000, while the value of property damaged over the course of the investigation totaled more than $114,0000. 

District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants conducted this alleged conspiracy of vehicle and car part thefts with ruthless precision. They allegedly victimized approximately 50 Bronx residents, scouting locations in advance and breaking door locks or smashing windows to access the vehicles they targeted. Hard-working people were left with thousands of dollars in damage because of the greed of these defendants. I commend the NYPD Auto Crimes Unit for bringing this trio’s alleged criminal conspiracy to an end.” 

District Attorney Clark said that defendants Antony Arlequin Salcedo, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, and Roberto Castillo, 42, of the Bronx, were arraigned on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, on second-degree Grand Larceny, second-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Conspiracy and other related charges by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goldsmith. Both defendants are due back in court October 13, 2026. The third defendant has not yet been apprehended.

According to the investigation known as “Operation Life Saver,” from May 2025 through October 2025, the three defendants were involved in approximately 50 individual thefts of vehicles, airbags and sensors that occurred in the Bronx. The crew were known to scout the location they were targeting, steal a vehicle from the street, and use the stolen vehicle to complete additional thefts of steering wheel airbags and sensors. They were fully masked with gloves and completed the thefts in under a minute. The value of property stolen over the course of the investigation totaled $110,483, while the value of property damaged totaled $114,936.

In a separate investigation that took place on March 17, 2026, officers assigned to the 45th Precinct observed Arlequin Salcedo allegedly in possession of a stolen 2022 Honda CR-V with another individual. A search of the area by the stolen vehicle resulted in the recovery of a box containing 27 airbags with an estimated value of over $25,000. The subsequent NYPD investigation determined that 12 of the airbags were linked to complaint reports made the same day within the confines of the 109th Precinct. The combined value of the stolen vehicle and the recovered airbags exceeded $50,000.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Auto Crimes Unit Sergeant Brandon Gembecki, Police Officers Juan Gomez and Joseph Parisi for their work in the investigation. District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Police Officers Kyle Linsalata and Edwin Elvington of the 109th Precinct and Police Officer Edward Delacruz of the 45th Precinct for the March 17, 2026, arrests.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Governor Hochul, the Coca-Cola Company and Fairlife Celebrate Ramp Up at $650 Million, State-of-the-Art Dairy Production Facility in Monroe County

Facility Will Provide Support to Local Dairy Farmers, Has Created Approximately 380 New Full-Time Jobs

Governor Hochul Made Personal Pitch for the Company To Choose New York which is the 5th largest Dairy Producing State and a Leader in the Dairy Industry

Complements the Governor’s Continued Commitment to Agribusiness — A Central Part of The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy To Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy

Governor Kathy Hochul, The Coca-Cola Company and fairlife today celebrated the initial ramp up of production at the new, $650 million, state of the art, fairlife facility in the Town of Webster, Monroe County. The 745,000 square-foot facility, one of the largest dairy processing plants in the Northeast, will serve as fairlife’s flagship regional facility. The company selected New York following a personal pitch from Governor Hochul and the state’s world-renowned reputation as a global leader in the dairy industry. The facility will take in five to six million pounds of milk per day from New York dairy farmers and has already created approximately 380 new full-time jobs in the Town of Webster.

“We're proud to be partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and fairlife to make this game-changing production facility a reality,” Governor Hochul said. “This $650 million investment in Monroe County will strengthen New York’s dairy industry by creating good-paying jobs, expanding opportunity for local families and providing a dependable market for the hardworking dairy farmers who help power our state’s economy. By supporting the producers, workers, and communities behind this facility, we are building a stronger, more resilient agricultural economy and ensuring New York remains a national leader in dairy production.”

Empire State Development is providing up to $21 million in assistance for the fairlife project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program. Additionally, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) awarded the firm an 8,470-kW low-cost ReCharge NY power allocation at its March 2024 meeting in support of the project. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Monroe County Industrial Development Agency, the Town of Webster, Rochester Gas and Electric, and Greater Rochester Enterprise were also instrumental in bringing the company to New York State.

New York State also provided $20 million through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation to help the Town of Webster upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. This financial assistance was crucial to helping the Town meet its critical wastewater infrastructure needs and support this transformative economic development project. Upgrades at the plant will help increase capacity for growing residential and industrial bases and make operations at the treatment plant more environmentally sustainable. The new investment builds on a $20 million FAST NY grant for Monroe County, announced in 2023 by Governor Hochul, for use at the site in Webster, allowing the county to upgrade the existing electrical infrastructure and enhance the region's appeal to agribusiness and industrial machinery manufacturing.

New York State has 2,700 dairy farms that produce over 16.6 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth-largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the state’s economy by generating nearly half of the state’s total agricultural receipts and providing some of the highest economic multipliers. New York's unique and talented dairy producers and processors contribute significantly to the state’s agriculture industry, economy and the health of our communities.

Governor Hochul remains committed to addressing the need for additional agricultural capacity and supporting New York’s dairy farms. New York State has celebrated a number of recent major investments in the dairy manufacturing sector across the state, including this investment in fairlife, helping New York to continue to be the leading producer of milk in the Northeast. There are currently nearly 300 world-recognized dairy manufacturing plants across New York.

In addition, the New York dairy industry has received a significant boost over the last several years through the Governor’s Dairy Modernization Grant Program. Round 1 of the program included $21.6 million to the dairy industry in New York, helping New York’s dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives invest in new equipment, expand storage capacity and strengthen their operations. Another $8.5 million is now available through Round 2 of the program and Round 3, which was approved in the final 2026-27 Enacted Budget, will provide nearly $13 million to dairy farmers. Full details regarding project eligibility and directions to submit applications can be found at ffgrowthfund.org/dairymodernization.

Under the Governor’s leadership, New York State has dedicated record funding to programs such as the Climate Resilient Farming grant program and the Agricultural Non-Point Source Abatement and Control program that are helping New York farms to implement environmentally sustainable practices and combat climate change. The Governor has also secured an increase in the Investment Tax Credit and the Farm Workforce Retention Tax Credit and launched the new $30 million Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program for New York farmers.

 

Mamdani Administration Taking Down Sidewalk Sheds and Improving Design of New Sheds

 

New enforcement procedures finalized to get sheds down faster  

  

DOB also issuing new proposed rule to support improved shed designs  

  

More than 1,000 fewer permitted sidewalk sheds on city streets compared with last year  

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Ahmed Tigani announced major progress in taking down sidewalk sheds across New York City, including new enforcement measures to get sheds down faster and proposed designs to make necessary sheds less intrusive for New Yorkers.  

  

DOB today issued final rules to strengthen oversight and enforcement of sidewalk sheds, requiring building owners to begin necessary repairs more quickly and safely remove sheds on a faster timeline. The rules, first proposed by the Mamdani administration in March, fulfill reforms established by City Council legislation in 2025. DOB will also publish a Buildings Bulletin clarifying that sidewalk sheds on campus properties should only extend as far as necessary to protect public safety, preventing them from unnecessarily taking up space far from buildings. The change will particularly benefit New Yorkers who navigate large “campuses,” including NYCHA properties, medical facilities and schools.  

  

In addition, DOB is proposing new rules that would allow buildings across the city to use six new sidewalk shed designs that are more adaptable and provide New Yorkers with more light, visibility and space than the current standard design.   

  

“New Yorkers have gotten used to sidewalk sheds darkening our streets and taking up precious public space, but it doesn’t have to be this way. There are already close to 10 percent fewer sheds up than when we took office. With better designs and stronger enforcement, we are going to keep bringing down the number of sheds, opening up our sidewalks and making them safer, brighter and more welcoming for everyone,” said Mayor Mamdani.  

  

“Sidewalk sheds can have a major impact on how New Yorkers experience of their city. With this suite of changes — from reducing the number of sheds on our streets to improving the sheds that go up when they are needed — we are taking a significant step toward safer and more welcoming public spaces,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “Thanks to DOB’s work to craft and enforce these new rules, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy more light and clearer sidewalks in the years to come.”  

  

“For decades, New Yorkers have lived with streets lined with bland-looking sidewalk sheds that stood in place seemingly without end. A high price in exchange for protecting pedestrians from hazardous building façades and construction activity,” said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Thanks to the leadership of the Mamdani Administration we are now building a cityscape that New Yorkers deserve by driving down the total number of sheds citywide, implementing a new enforcement strategy to make sure this equipment stays up for only as long as needed and delivering significantly better design options.”  

  

These efforts build on the Mamdani administration’s progress in reducing the impact of sidewalk sheds across New York City. As of August 17, there are 7,427 permitted sidewalk sheds across the city, more than 1,000 fewer sheds than at this time last year and an almost 10 percent reduction from the number of total sheds when Mayor Mamdani took office on January 1.  

  

Sidewalk Shed Oversight and Enforcement  

  

DOB recently adopted a rule, now in effect, establishing new oversight and enforcement requirements for sidewalk sheds following the passage of Local Laws 48 and 51 of 2025.   

  

Starting this month, every sidewalk shed permit renewal must be accompanied by a report explaining what building repair requires the pedestrian protection equipment and detailing the progress made on those repairs since the last renewal. Previously, sidewalk shed permits were renewed annually, with the City automatically issuing renewals. Under the new rules, permits must be renewed every 90 days, and property owners must provide detailed information about the work being done that will allow the shed to be safely removed.  

  

The new rules also establish stronger penalties for property owners who leave sidewalk sheds in place when no active work is occurring or fail to complete façade repairs within a reasonable amount of time. After 180 days, DOB will issue graduated monthly penalties based on the size of the sidewalk shed and how long it has been in place. Penalties can be paused if the property owners demonstrate that they are making meaningful progress on repairs.   

  

DOB is conducting outreach to property owners about the new requirements and expects to begin imposing penalties in early 2027.  

  

New Sidewalk Shed Designs  

  

Earlier today, DOB published proposed rules in the City Record to promote the use of six improved sidewalk shed designs across the five boroughs.   

  

While sidewalk sheds serve an important public safety function, traditional designs can negatively impact public space by limiting light, visibility and pedestrian access. The six new designs would improve the pedestrian experience while continuing to provide necessary overhead protection.   

  

The designs were developed by leading architecture and design firms Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). The designs are the intellectual property of the City and can be freely copied, helping streamline adoption across New York.   

  

The public comment period for the proposed rule runs through September 24.  

  

Smaller Sidewalk Sheds on “Campus” Properties  

  

DOB will also publish a Buildings Bulletin establishing new guidance to reduce the size of sidewalk sheds on large “campus” properties, including NYCHA properties, multi-building developments and universities.   

  

Previously, pedestrian protection was required on any walkway within half the height of a building. On large properties with multiple buildings, this could result in a maze of sidewalk sheds covering public walkways, even in areas where the additional coverage provided no meaningful public safety benefit.   

  

The new Bulletin, which will establish official DOB policy, provides guidance to the public that limits required sidewalk shed coverage to a maximum of 40 feet from a building. This change will reduce unnecessary shed coverage while maintaining the pedestrian protections New Yorkers need.   

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Growing Number of Local Governments Reporting Plans to Override Property Tax Cap

 

Trend Signals Growing Budget Pressure on New York’s Municipalities, Fire Districts and School Districts

More local governments have reported to the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) that they plan to override the property tax cap in recent years, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. More school districts, which require a ballot proposition and at least 60% voter approval to override the tax cap, have also reported plans to override the cap. While a planned override suggests that local officials may be concerned about a potential budget shortfall, it does not necessarily mean that they will exceed the cap for that year.

“Many local governments are under fiscal pressure, with rising costs and slower growth in recurring revenues,” DiNapoli said. “For local officials trying to close budget gaps or increase revenue to align with spending, overriding the tax cap is an option, and increasing numbers have reported plans to do so. I urge local officials to communicate with the public and be transparent about their fiscal challenges and plans for addressing them. My office is always here to help.”

New York’s property tax cap limits annual increases in property taxes to the lesser of 2% or the inflation factor, with some exceptions. Local governments other than school districts may override the cap if at least 60% of their governing boards vote to approve it. Every year, before they adopt their budgets, all local governments must file tax cap forms with DiNapoli’s office, indicating whether they plan to override the tax cap for the upcoming fiscal year.  Even if they report their intention to override the cap, a local government can still decide to stay under it.

Pandemic relief aid, as well as a surge in sales tax revenue, contributed to a drop in the share of reported override plans, most notably in 2022. But in recent years as pandemic-related federal aid has dwindled, sales tax growth has moderated, and inflation has risen above the 2% cap, the number of municipalities reporting plans to override the tax cap has grown substantially. Cities led the increase, with nearly half (49.2%) reporting that they planned to override for the local fiscal year ending (FYE) in 2025 and 45% indicating they would override for FYE 2026, up from 13.1% in 2022.

Over one-fifth of New York’s counties also reported that they planned to override the tax cap for FYE 2025, and nearly one-fourth reported planning overrides for FYE 2026, up from 3.5% in 2022.

Towns and villages have also experienced notable increases in planned overrides in recent years. For FYE 2026, 35.5% of villages and 28.6% of towns said they were planning to override the cap, up from 22.7% and 16.6%, respectively, in 2022.

Fire districts also appear to be experiencing fiscal pressure. The share of fire districts planning overrides reached 34.9% for FYE 2025 before declining slightly to 31.5% for FYE 2026, up from 18.6% in 2022.

A smaller share of school districts have reported plans to override the cap than other local governments. However, their share has more than doubled in recent years, increasing from 2.4% to 4.9% from FYE 2024 to FYE 2026.

Report

Increase in Planned Tax Cap Overrides Suggests Growing Fiscal Pressure

Related Work

Technical Assistance/Local Training Page

Fiscal Stress Monitoring System

Allowable Tax Levy Growth Factors for Local Governments

Boom or Bust? Federal Relief Aid and Local Government Finances in New York State