The deal brokered last night to repeal a property tax cut and increase the ‘bed' tax in exchange for a quick mailing of already-budgeted rebate checks has been approved by the City Council, but the votes were off. The property tax increase passed 33 to 18, but the increase in the hotel room tax passed 46 to 5. Simcha Felder ...

In a 16-and-a-half minute meeting, the term-limits extension legislation passed the City Council Government Operations Committee unanimously. The six members all voted yes. Simcha Felder, the chairman, said it was good policy and had nothing to do specifically with wanting to see Michael Bloomberg as mayor for another four years (although Felder said he’s been excellent). Domenic Recchia quoted ...

They just did the Council roll call and everyone is here. Gale Brewer, an undecided member from Manhattan, used the word "unfortunately" as she declared herself present. Attendance is a touchy issue sometimes. When the Council voted to make Christine Quinn, who is openly gay, its speaker, Simcha Felder, who is an Orthodox Jew, walked into the bathroom and skipped ...

Another dispatch from the term-limits hearing, by intern Glenna Goldis: Mario Cuomo was the first person to testify at the hearing on the City Council's term-limits legislation. "The way they did it in my case was perfect," he said, referring to the voters' ouster of him in 1993 by general election. He added later, "Anything that perpetuates term limits ...