New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters about the city's finances during a news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP)
During a news conference on Tuesday, Mamdani called on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers in Albany to raise income taxes on the "ultra-wealthy and the most profitable corporations" to help close the city's budget gap.
If they do not, Mamdani warned about "painful decisions of last resort" that include a potential 9.5% property tax increase.
MAMDANI TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ HE FAVORS ABOLISHING ICE
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shakes hands with Rev. Al Sharpton, with New York Attorney General Letitia James and director Spike Lee next to them, during a tribute honoring the life of Rev. Jesse Jackson in New York City, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
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Mamdani admitted that middle class New Yorkers would bear the brunt of his proposal.
"This would effectively be a tax on working and middle class New Yorkers, who have a median income of $122,000," Mamdani said.
Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-promotes-nyc-where-every-family-can-afford-home-rips-ices-cruelty-amid-budget-blowback