Campaign promises turn into governing challenges as Mamdani sworn in as NYC mayor
Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as the mayor of New York City early Thursday in a private ceremony held in a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan. He publicly took the oath of office later Thursday on the steps of City Hall.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who won the November election with 51% of the vote, is the first Muslim to become mayor of the nation’s largest city and, at 34, its youngest since 1892.
“Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,” Mamdani said in a speech after the City Hall ceremony.
He added: “Those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”
The former state assemblyman ran on a platform of making the city more affordable, promising rent freezes, free bus rides and universal health care, among other benefits.
However, as he sets out to make good on those promises, he may be facing an uphill battle.
Housing promises and likely challenges
Rent freezes were at the forefront of Mamdani’s campaign. He pledged to “freeze the rent for all stabilized tenants, and use every available resource to build the housing New Yorkers need and bring down the rent.”
However, freezing rents is not a decision Mamdani can make alone. Since the 1960s, the Rent Guidelines Board, a nine-member panel appointed by the mayor, has set rents for stabilized apartments.
Under state law, the board must consider landlord expenses when raising or lowering rents. If those costs change, the law requires that rent reflect those changes.
In addition, while the mayor appoints board members, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams recently named two new members and reappointed two more. Those appointments ensure Adams’ appointees will make up a majority of the board for the foreseeable future. This, despite who Mamdani appoints.
Mamdani also promoted plans to crack down on negligent landlords and to build 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years. The proposed housing, however, would cost $100 billion, and Mamadani would need approval from several governing bodies to borrow $70 billion in capital funding.
Community safety
Mamdani, who in 2020 called for defunding the New York Police Department, vowed to create the Department of Community Safety to “prevent violence before it happens by prioritizing solutions which have been consistently shown to improve safety.”
The plan includes investing in mental health programs and crisis response. Mamdani also plans on deploying dedicated outreach workers at subway stations and increasing funding to programs designed to prevent hate violence.
Much of Mamdani’s public safety plan shies away from the police department, which historically has proved politically difficult for New York mayors. In the 1970s, as the NYPD was facing budget cuts, officers handed out fliers to tourists calling New York “Fear City.” The flyers urged visitors to avoid coming to the city for their own safety.
In the 1990s, Mayor David Dinkins sought to implement greater civilian oversight, prompting officers to protest outside City Hall.
And in 2014, officers turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio during a funeral for two officers who were shot in the line of duty. The move was a show of disapproval after the mayor criticized the department’s tactics and civil rights abuses.
Free buses
Another hot topic of Mamdani’s campaign was making buses free and easily accessible across New York City. He proposed eliminating fares on all routes, expanding priority lanes and creating dedicated loading zones.
The buses, however, are run by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which says making buses free would cost approximately $750 million. Bloomberg reports experts are skeptical about Mamdani’s plans, saying the changes could push lower-income riders away from subway trains and onto already sluggish buses.
Free child care
In addition to facing challenges from the NYPD and MTA, Mamdani could also have a fight on his hands with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is up for re-election this year. Mamdani has proposed making child care free for all New York City kids using funds from two new proposed tax increases.
One increase would raise the city’s marginal tax rate on income over $1 million, while the other would increase the corporate tax rate. Both would go from 3.9% to 5.9%.
However, Hochul, who has significant influence over tax policy, has said she won’t approve new tax increases.
Other plans
Mamdani also ran on creating a network of city-owned grocery stores, schools going green and raising minimum wage. Whether Mamdani fulfills these campaign promises won’t be seen until the end of his term, on Jan. 1, 2030.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
