CONSUMER PROTECTION

Julie has over two decades of experience as a consumer protection lawyer and advocate. 

With a federal government in crisis, it will be up to cities to take the lead on so many consumer issues that matter to everyday residents. This approach will be more important than ever, as consumers may be left behind as New York works to address a seismic deficit and onerous recovery post-COVID.

Julie took the helm of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs in 2014, the largest and one of the broadest-reaching municipal organizations of its kind, with some of the strongest consumer protection laws in the country.

Her time there has been described as hugely successful. She turned around one of the most widely criticized departments in city government. Julie is credited with lowering the number of violations that were crushing small businesses where there was no consumer harm from 19,888 in fiscal year 2014 to 11,923 in fiscal year 2015 while increasing consumer restitution from $3.6 million to $6.2 million in that time frame and overseeing the implementation of major policy including the historic paid Sick Leave law,  the executive order expanding the Living Wage Law, the Small Business Relief Package, the Paid Sick Leave Law, and the Commuter Benefits Law.

Her time at the Department of Consumer Affairs also saw ground breaking investigations that curbed predatory practices in car loans, debt collection, for-profit colleges, and grocery chains, as well as investigations into second hand gun dealers, She increased consumer relief by 70% while also protecting small businesses. 

Julie also oversaw the city's Office of Financial Empowerment where she launched an innovative new Earned Income Tax initiative that refunded over $260 million to low income New Yorkers.   Suspecting that consumer product companies were deceiving New Yorkers by charging more for products targeted to women and girls, she launched the seminal Pink Tax study, surveying over 800 consumer goods and exposing that women were being overcharged for identical products. The Pink Tax study led to a change in state law.

As a City Council Member, Julie will never stop fighting on behalf of the consumers, workers, and small businesses in her district.