Mamdani grilled by old colleagues as city works to close budget gap

Mayor Zohran Mamdani testified before the State Legislature in Albany on Wednesday on “Tin Cup Day.”  Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

By Ryan Schwach

Mayor Zohran Mamdani returned to his old Albany stomping grounds on Wednesday to ask for the state’s help in closing a $7 billion shortfall in the city’s budget.

Mamdani testified before the legislature for his first “Tin Cup Day,” and doubled down on his request that the state further assist its largest city through a more equitable financial relationship, and for higher income taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers.

Earlier this month, the new mayor blamed his predecessor’s administration and former Governor Andrew Cuomo for a $12 billion chasm in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a shortfall Mamdani said Wednesday is now closer to $7 billion.

“We have made some meaningful progress towards shrinking the gap,” Mamdani told lawmakers. “However, New York City is still placed on a ledge. The most responsible way off is with dedicated, recurring revenue that can provide the services New Yorkers deserve first.”

Mamdani did not give too many details about what accounts for the $5 billion change in the budget gap, but he said that promising economic forecasts, increased Wall Street bonuses and internal savings have played a part.

He added that he believes the newfound savings will be made “without compromising city services.”

The city will have its own part in filling its own shortfall, but Mamdani wants the state to help as well.

While the city contributes 54 percent of state revenue, it only receives 40 percent back, which Mamdani said earlier this month accounts for a “$21.2 billion chasm,” that he would like to see fixed.

“We are calling to end the drain,” he said. “This is not just a crucial first step, it is a key part of addressing the problem. Without solving this inequity, we can only postpone this crisis. No longer can New York sustain giving so much and receiving so little in return.”

Some upstate lawmakers questioned the mayor’s request, worrying it would adversely affect smaller, poorer communities that rely on revenue that comes from New York City.

Mamdani also wants the state’s help in raising taxes by 2 percent for New Yorkers making over a million dollars, as well as corporations. Some in Albany are behind the proposals, but many, including Governor Kathy Hochul, have pushed back.

The mayor, who was a member of the Assembly less than two months ago, was welcomed by many of his former colleagues and allies, but also grilled by Democrats and Republicans alike.

A handful of Republican lawmakers questioned him about antisemitism, as well as his democratic socialist ideology.

Brooklyn Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny, who was born in the Soviet Union, said Mamdani’s experience on socialism was “theoretical.”

Mamdani retorted that his time living and representing Astoria, which is represented by democratic socialists at every level of local and state government, gave him a more “practical” experience with the political theory.

He was also questioned by his Democratic colleagues from Queens, including those who endorsed him for mayor and remain close allies.

Democratic Socialists of America-backed Assemblymember Claire Valdez asked Mamdani if he was in favor of restoring the G train to Forest Hills, which Mamdani supported as an assemblymember.

“I think it's a very interesting idea, and it's one that we're digging into right now,” he said on Wednesday, now as mayor.

State Senator John Liu, one of Mamdani’s earliest supporters, said that the “honeymoon is over,” following an intense grilling from a Republican representative.

“The time for blaming past mayors and governors has passed,” Liu said. “We need to hear the details of your plan and it's good to hear your revenue proposals.”

Mamdani said that he will share more details about his finance plan next week when he releases his preliminary budget.