The first 100 days of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration have been defined by a push for massive tax increases and a rapid retreat from several of his most prominent campaign promises, leaving both supporters and critics questioning the direction of his mayoralty.
Despite campaigning on a platform of heavily taxing the wealthy to fund a variety of city programs, the socialist mayor has introduced proposals that would exact a combined `$23 billion in new taxes, with significant portions threatening middle-class New Yorkers.

Initially claiming a budget shortfall of 12 billion, later revised down to 5.4 billion, Mamdani shocked many by threatening a 9.5 percent across-the-board property tax increase if his proposals to “tax the rich” were not met. The property tax hike, which would affect an estimated three million residential units owned by New Yorkers earning an average of $122,000 a year, was projexted to generate 3.7 billion annually. Facing swift backlash from the public and the City Council, the mayor has since largely stopped mentioning the proposal.
In Albany, Mamdani’s administration has circulated a wish list of tax hikes that require state approval. These include a controversial plan to slash the estate tax exemption threshold from $7 million down to just 750,000, while raising the top rate from 16 percent to 50 percent. Critics warn this measure would heavily burden middle-class families whose homes often sell for well over the new six-figure threshold, generating an estimated $`4 billion a year for the city.

The mayor is also seeking a two percent income tax hike for New Yorkers earning `$1 billion or more, alongside corporate tax increases to 10.8 percent for financial firms and 10.62 percent for non-financial companies. While Democratic leaders in the state legislature have shown symbolic support, Governor Kathy Hochul has voiced opposition, citing fears of driving wealth and businesses out of the state.

Beyond taxation, the mayor’s first three months have been characterized by a sharp pivot away from his progressive campaign promises.
A heavily promoted pledge to open five city-owned grocery stores to provide wholesale prices has yet to materialize. Instead, the administration has proposed $70 million for the city’s Economic Development Corporation merely to scout locations and build the stores.
Similarly, Mamdani’s promise to create a $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety to replace police with social workers on non-violent 911 calls has fallen short. It has been reduced to a “Mayor’s Office of Community Safety” staffed by two people with a $260 million budget.
On public safety and quality-of-life issues, the realities of governing have forced further reversals:

Law Enforcement: Mamdani campaigned on disbanding the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG) and abolishing the department’s gang database. Today, both remain operational, with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch defending their use. Mamdani recently noted the SRG remains under “active conversation.”

Homeless Encampments: After promising to end his predecessor’s practice of clearing homeless encampments, Mamdani reversed course following severe winter storms that resulted in at least 29 outdoor deaths. The city has now returned to clearing encampments, provided workers attempt to move individuals into housing for seven consecutive days first.

Housing Vouchers: Seeking to capitalize on progressive anger against former Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani promised to drop lawsuits blocking the expansion of the CityFHEPS housing voucher program. Once in office, he formally filed an appeal to keep the anti-expansion lawsuit alive.

Libraries: Mamdani pledged to allocate 0.5 percent of the city’s budget to the library system and end the practice of using it as a budget negotiating tactic. He instead slashed library funding by `$30 million in his preliminary budget, allocating only 0.39 percent.