NYC Council Declines to Override COPA Bill Veto
February 3, 2026
The New York City Council failed to override former Mayor Eric Adam’s veto of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which effectively stops the legislation for the time being. The bill passed in December on a 31-10 vote and is supported by current Mayor Zohran Mamdani, which means the bill will likely be reintroduced this year.
Why it matters: As originally drafted, COPA Int 0902-2024 would have applied an additional waiting period and processes to every multifamily building sale in the city. The bill saw several updates that narrowed the scope to distressed buildings and reduced the overall timeframe.
- CREFC submitted a letter to council members highlighting its concerns with the legislation. Click here for the full letter.
- The bill passed on December 18 by a 31-10 margin (not including seven abstaining and three absences), which was short of the 34 votes (2/3 threshold) to overcome a mayoral veto.
- While the bill did not muster a supermajority, the mayoral support and comfortable margin make it more likely some version of COPA will be reintroduced and acted on this year.
What they’re saying: The new Council Speaker, Julie Menin, declined to bring the measure for an override as it did not pass with the required supermajority. Menin had abstained from voting in December and has declined to indicate her support, even amid public pressure from Mamdani to schedule an override vote.
The bill’s author, Council member Sandy Nurse, reiterated her commitment to the effort in a statement to the Gothamist: