The High-Rise Safety Initiative is a ballot measure that will appear on the November 4, 2014 ballot in New York City. If approved by voters, it will require the NYC Department of Buildings to investigate high-rise building collapses in NYC that occurred on, or any time after, September 11, 2001. Its provisions exclude the collapse of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, but apply to the collapse of
World Trade Center 7 and any high-rise collapse that may occur in the future. Because all local ballot measures in New York State that require the expenditure of public funds must include their own revenue source, the High-Rise Safety Initiative proposes a .9% surcharge on construction permits issued by the Department of Buildings. This is estimated to raise $1 million per year, which, when passed, will cover the anticipated cost the City. This .9% surcharge would be lifted, however, if the High-Rise Safety Fund exceeds $3 million, and reinstituted if the High-Rise Safety Fund falls below $1 million.
