Queens officials relieved after mayor axes property tax increase threat

Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolled out his executive budget proposal that included help from the state and no new property tax hikes on Tuesday.  Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

By Ryan Schwach

Property tax increases that officials claimed would have greatly harmed Queens residents will not be included in the city’s budget, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday as he rolled out his $124 billion executive spending proposal.

The mayor said the nine percent property tax increase he floated earlier this year would not be necessary to close what he said at the time was a gargantuan $12 billion budget gap. Queens locals, mainly in Southeast Queens, who had feared that any increase would be detrimental to renters and homeowners alike in the borough, are now thankful it didn’t make the cut.

“This budget does not raise property taxes and it refuses to slash services,” Mamdani said. “We are often told that to govern responsibly, we must scale back our ambitions to provide little and then ask those we serve to expect even less.”

Instead, the city will fill the budget shortfall through savings and an additional $4 billion in state assistance that was announced hours before the executive budget proposal was rolled out.

The help from the state and Governor Kathy Hochul includes $500 million worth of revenue from a pied-à-terre tax on second homes, money for school aid, $3 billion worth savings stemming from delays in pension payments and wiggle room for the city on implementing the state’s new class size law.

The state’s assistance totals $8 billion over two fiscal years.

But while the new money was a reason to celebrate for some, Queens officials and locals appeared most excited that Mamdani had walked back his threat to institute the property tax increase, which he floated in February as a “last resort” if the state did not come through with more funding and higher taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers.

James Johnson, a Southeast Queens community leader, rallied with locals in opposition to the property tax.

“Property taxes should have never been mentioned in the first place,” he said. “This is a major win for homeowners across New York City, especially the homeowners in Southeast Queens.”

Johnson’s message to Mamdani – don’t try it again.

“I’m sure the mayor understands now that if this is brought up again next year, he will face the same strong and ferocious opposition from homeowners across the City of New York,” he said.

Following Tuesday’s budget announcement, officials were glad that the property tax increase was no longer being seen as an option to fill the city’s budget deficit.

Western Queens Councilmember Phil Wong said he was “pleased to see that the property tax increase proposal is off the table”

“The Council made clear from day one that New Yorkers cannot continue to shoulder additional tax burdens,” the freshman lawmaker said in a statement.

Borough President Donovan Richards, a Mamdani ally, was quick to criticize the mayor when the idea was first proposed, calling it a “nonstarter.”

He took a different tone on Tuesday.

"Today's announcement represents a much-needed step in the right financial direction for our city, especially for Black and brown New Yorkers who had been facing an unacceptable property tax increase that would have priced them out of their communities,” said Richards. “I thank the mayor for rightfully withdrawing such an increase from this new budget proposal.”

On Tuesday, Mamdani said the additional help from the state and savings found at the agency level made a balanced budget possible without the need for increased property taxes or cuts to city services.

He called his balanced budget proposal a “win” for the city.

“We scoured for savings and demanded greater efficiency from every part of city government. We partnered with Albany, securing billions in new funding,” he said. “We taxed the rich, asking those with the most to contribute a little bit more to support those with the least.”

“Through new revenues, savings and a renewed partnership with the state we pulled New York City back from an existential fiscal crisis,” he added.

It will now be up for the mayor to get the other side of City Hall on board with his spending plan.

"We had a productive meeting with Mayor Mamdani on the executive budget, and we appreciate that the administration has moved toward an approach championed by the Council that identifies savings and avoids raising property taxes or raiding reserves,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Finance Chair Linda Lee said in a statement. "We have important work ahead to advance key priorities including affordability, public transit access, and investments in the services New Yorkers rely on every day."