New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said guidance he received from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has influenced how he runs City Hall, pointing to early results such as pothole repairs and financial settlements with landlords as evidence of his approach.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who took office on Jan. 1 as the city’s 112th mayor, made the remarks in an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker. The conversation was recorded at City Hall, at the historic desk once used by former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

During the interview, Mamdani described La Guardia as the greatest mayor in New York City’s history and said working at his desk serves as “a reminder of all that’s possible.”

He told Welker that he has met with several former mayors, including Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, and said, “there’s a hubris in our politics that you have to create everything yourself.”

When asked which piece of advice had stayed with him most, Mamdani singled out Bloomberg.

“Michael Bloomberg spoke to me about the importance of the team that you build around you and that you let that team do the work that you hired them to do,” he said.

He added that he has tried to avoid “the micro-managerial aspect in so much of this work.”

Mamdani connected that philosophy to what his administration is describing as early accomplishments, citing $32 million in settlements from what he characterized as problematic landlords, as well as the filling of 102,000 potholes.

He attributed those achievements to his staff, saying, “That’s a team that’s doing that, and I’m so lucky to have the one that I have around me.”

Welker asked whether Mamdani agreed with former Mayor John Lindsay’s characterization of the job as the toughest in the country after the presidency.

Mamdani acknowledged the challenge, calling it “a tough job,” but added that it is “also an incredibly” fulfilling one.

The interview comes as Mamdani reaches the 100-day mark of his administration while facing pressure to translate broad campaign promises into concrete policy.

Key proposals—including a rent freeze, free bus service, and universal child care—have yet to be fully implemented.

A citywide rent freeze remains pending a summer decision by the Rent Guidelines Board, while the plan for free buses has been scaled back to a limited pilot program combined with expanded bus lanes.

At the same time, the city is grappling with a projected budget shortfall of approximately $5 billion.

Last week, Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed support for a proposed “pied-a-terre” tax on second homes valued at $5 million or more, which is intended to help address part of the deficit.

President Donald Trump criticized the proposal in a post online, accusing the mayor of “destroying” the city.

{Matzav.com}