New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threat last month to raise property taxes on city residents appears to have backfired, drawing immediate backlash and forcing City Hall into retreat.
What looked like a bid to pressure New York Gov. Kathy Hochul into supporting higher income taxes on wealthy residents instead triggered resistance from across the political spectrum — including left-leaning allies and centrist Democrats representing Black homeowners.
According to interviews The New York Times conducted with lawmakers, Mamdani has since held private meetings with city and state officials, signaling he is now highly unlikely to pursue the increase, while still pushing Albany for more aid.
Five weeks after floating a 9.5% property tax hike, the mayor seems to be backing away as Hochul shows no interest in raising taxes on the rich — a major priority for Mamdani's Democratic socialist base.
Critics say the episode exposed a political misstep: Mamdani appeared to overestimate his leverage with Albany while underestimating how unpopular property tax hikes are with middle-class homeowners already burdened by a system many see as unfair.
The dispute also marked a rare point of tension between Hochul and Mamdani, who have generally worked closely together.
Earlier this month, Hochul said she is "working very hard to have a constructive relationship with the mayor." She also made clear that City Hall should do more to control spending after the state provided major aid.
"One and a half billion is not something that is handed out every day," she said.
"I did that because I wanted to help them get a foundation to build from as they look for savings, which I think are necessary. So this is for them to work out now."
From the start, Mamdani described the tax hike as a last resort if the city remained in deficit after the state budget process. But lawmakers say the political damage was immediate.
"I don't think he wants to raise property taxes," Leroy Comrie, a state senator from Queens, told the Times. "He knows that it will hurt minority communities the most."
James Sanders Jr., another Queens state senator, told the outlet that the proposal "caused an earthquake in the Black population, which was just starting to get to know him," and raised the "question of whether the administration is fully getting it."
Property tax increases are politically toxic in New York City. State Sen. Liz Krueger, who represents the Upper East Side and chairs the Senate Finance Committee, dismissed the idea.
"People in executive positions frequently float test balloons," she told the Times. "I think that this test balloon showed that it wasn't a very feasible proposal."
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who represents a large swath of homeowners in the Bronx, agreed.
"Property, a lot of the time, is the biggest asset that people will have in their lives," he said, according to the outlet. "I just think you don't want to mess with that."
Opposition to the new mayor's property tax proposal among City Council members also emerged quickly.
Councilwoman Sandy Nurse, a co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, told the Times, "I can confirm the administration has never asked us to support this."
Bronx Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson, who chairs the Black Legislative Task Force, added that the move "definitely caused a ruckus that I don't think he was prepared for or that his team was prepared for."
For now, Mamdani is reportedly weighing other options, including reserves.
"March comes before June, and the mayor is focused on working with our partners in Albany to close the city's inherited budget gap," said Mamdani spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie.
June 30 is the city's deadline for enacting a budget.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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