As the threat of a pied-à-terre tax mounts, an entity tied to the Real Estate Board of New York has hired a consultant who worked to kill the measure last year.
But the consultant, Patrick Jenkins, says he isn’t tackling the controversial tax, nor other hot-button industry issues, including a proposed blanket eviction moratorium.
Rather, “the work is to focus on job creation and job growth coming out of this crisis,” he said.
Putting New Yorkers to Work, headed by REBNY President James Whelan, hired Jenkins’ eponymous firm in October, recent filings with the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics show. A spokesperson for REBNY said the group brought Jenkins on to “provide strategic advice on positioning the organization to promote job creation efforts.” His $20,000-a-month contract with the group runs through the end of next June.