Jamestown City Council meeting (February 13, 2023)

The New York Conference of Mayors isn’t on board with Governor Hochul‘s housing proposal in her state budget.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said while NYCOM agrees there is a huge need for new housing across the state, they’re not supportive of the Housing plan proposed, “Because part of her proposal, although we do support the new builds, her proposal requires that municipalities change their zoning laws to accommodate for new housing. It is not something that the organization, NYCOM, supports at this time. It was very clear to the Governor that yes, we support new housing and yes, we support providing funds for it, but if you’re going to make us do that you’re not going to make us change our zoning laws just because the state said so.”

Sundquist said while there are monies in the budget for upgrades to infrastructure and for changing zoning laws, NYCOM doesn’t believe it will be enough given the amount of additional housing the state is looking to build.

Hochul wants to see 800,000 new housing units built in the state over the next 10 years.

Sundquist said NYCOM also is disappointed that AIM, or Aid and Incentives to Municipalities, has not increased, “There’s obviously a lot more cost to run cities, towns, villages and the fact that that hasn’t changed in several decades has become a huge issue.”

Sundquist said he’s trying to learn more about the $5 billion in migrant aid that’s included in the state budget. He said while they haven’t seen any new influx of migrants to the city, his administration has had direct calls with the Department of Homeland Security, White House Intergovernmental office, and Social Security Administration, “So, we’re just working with them (migrants) and the organizations are working directly with them to get social security cards which would allow them to get certain benefits but also to have some type of I.D. which is required for the food bank and other things.”

Sundquist added the city is also working with the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County on migrant issues.

Social Security benefits

The Social Security Administration announced that the 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022.

On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month.

The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Administration announced other adjustments that take effect in January are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $160,200 from $147,000.

Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail starting in early December about their new benefit amount. People may also find out their information before then by creating or accessing an account online at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

U.S. Senate Aging Committee member Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued a statement on the cost-of-living increase, saying, “Today’s Social Security Administration announcement of an 8.7% increase in benefit checks, the largest increase since 1981, is fantastic news for more than 70 million Americans who are struggling with skyrocketing drug prices, prohibitive housing costs, and the rising cost of living.”