Hochul and Mamdani are all smiles, despite disagreement on taxes

Everything between the governor and the mayor of New York City is totally copacetic. At least, that’s what the pair continue to claim in public, even as a simmering disagreement over tax hikes on wealthy New Yorkers could boil over in the next month. 

Once again appearing together on Thursday to tout record investments in child care – a shared priority – Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani made sure to emphasize what a great working relationship the pair have. “This is what a partnership looks like,” Hochul said. “This is a little foreign to New Yorkers. Perhaps they're not accustomed to seeing people who can collaborate and get real results.” The relationship between mayors and governors has historically been tense, and Hochul’s predecessor was infamous for butting heads with the progressive mayor at the time.

Just a few weeks ago, while Mamdani laid out his initial executive budget proposal, he all but dared Hochul to reject income tax hikes on New Yorkers making over $1 million, lest he be forced to raise property taxes on everyone in the city to fill a multi-billion dollar budget gap. At best, the proposal came off as an ultimatum. At worst, it sounded as if Mamdani was threatening the governor.

Mamdani doesn’t seem to view it that way – and neither does former New York City Council speaker and Win President Christine Quinn, who also joined the Thursday child care press conference at an East Harlem shelter operated by her organization. “Ultimatum is such an ugly word,” Quinn said, while interrupting City & State’s question on the matter. “We’re having a nice time!”

Mamdani would not directly answer whether he is suggesting that New York City residents should blame Hochul if they see their property taxes go up. “What I will say is that I'm incredibly heartened … by the partnership that the governor and I have been building over many months,” he said, praising her commitment to an affordability agenda. Mamdani added that there is “still quite some time” before the budget process ultimately wraps up. “I’m encouraged by the conversations we're having, and I'm thankful that for the first time in a long time, it feels as if between City Hall and Albany there is a shared direction that we're heading in,” he said. 

The mayor did not elaborate on those conversations, but Hochul certainly gave no indication that her staunchly anti-tax increase position had changed. “He knows where I stand,” the governor said when asked whether Mamdani has tried to privately lobby her when they appear at joint events. The pair held a similar press conference on child care on Tuesday and marched together in the Lunar New Year parade on Sunday. Gone are the days of strategically planned opposing press conferences, with the two executives often agreeing to share the limelight and camera time.

Hochul said Mamdani’s apparent ultimatum over taxes did not phase her or have any impact on their working relationship. “This is not a frustrated face, I am not frustrated,” she said. The governor added there are “ongoing conversations” between the state and city budget teams, before mentioning the $1.5 billion she has already committed to helping Mamdani fill the city budget gap. “We're going to get to the right resolution,” Hochul said. “And just be assured that I take nothing personal in this business.”