Governor Kathy Hochul dismissed concerns about being labeled as the “scapegoat” in Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to impose higher taxes on the wealthy. She clarified that she is not “frustrated” by the political maneuvers of the mayor and his allies.
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During a Thursday press briefing, where she was accompanied by the mayor, Hochul aimed to downplay any apparent rift between her and New York City’s far-left leader regarding tax hikes on affluent individuals.
“I’ve been managing this for a while. The legislature has introduced tax increases every year since I took office,” she stated, emphasizing her negotiating skills. “I know how to reach outcomes that I believe are in the best interest of New Yorkers.”
“I know how to get to the results that I need that I think are the best for New Yorkers.”
Hochul, who is up for re-election this year, has repeatedly said she would not sign off on a tax increase, even after Mamdani threatened to raise property taxes across the five boroughs if the governor did not give in.
Mamdani has claimed the money is needed to close a purported $5.4 billion budget gap.
In private, Hochul and her people have voiced frustration over the situation â as Mamdani has pushed city lawmakers to direct their ire at Albany after he proposed a nearly 10% property tax increase.
But publicly, the two have played nice.
“This is not a frustrated face,” Hochul said Thursday. “I am not frustrated. I’ll say this: There are ongoing conversations with the mayor’s team, his budget team, my budget team.”
Mamdani has repeatedly praised the governor, who found an extra $1.5 billion to ship down to NYC to help with the budget, and another $1 billion that she used to deliver the young mayor an early win by setting up a 2K pilot program.
The comment by the gov echoed that of Mamdani’s first deputy earlier in the day, who told attendees at a New York City Law School breakfast that City Hall and Albany have had positive conversations to close the budget gap.
