NYC rent freeze vote forges ahead despite landlord reps explosive, last-minute resignation
The show must go on — and tonight, it will.New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board is barreling ahead with a final vote on rent freezes Thursday night, despite an explosive, last-minute resignation from one of its two landlord representatives who claimed the game is totally rigged by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.On Thursday morning, landlord rep Christina Smyth unceremoniously slammed the door on the RGB, claiming in a letter to the board it had “stopped being a fact-finding body.”“This rebuilt board was required to deliver a rent freeze.Everything since has been theater,” the real estate attorney wrote.Smyth, a partner in law firm Smyth Levenson who has been on the board since April 2022, ripped the board for ignoring rising building and insurance costs for landlords.The defection was a surprise to the RGB, its chair said.On her LinkedIn page, where she posted the letter, Smyth said, “I resigned today because this process is broken.
I have had no problem in the past with my vote being on the losing side.It has already happened during my five-year tenure.
I cannot in good conscience validate a process I believe is completely unjust.Owners and tenants deserve better.”Smyth did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.“I want to take this opportunity to affirm the independence with which this year’s board members have served, along with the rigor and integrity demonstrated by the RGB staff in preparing and presenting data, RGB chair Chantella Mitchell said in a statement.
She added, “We will proceed with tonight’s vote.” According to the RGB’s rules, the nine-member board appointed by the mayor — which consists of two tenant reps, two landlord reps and five reps for the general public — only needs five members present to vote.Since “convention” says at least one representative from each side should show up, the body could push the mayor’s agenda through.Furious mom-and-pop landlord group Small Property Owners of New...