Overview
- Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named an all-female transition team that includes Maria Torres-Springer and Lina Khan, and he signaled interest in keeping NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
- Mamdani reiterated a pledge to freeze rents for roughly two million rent-stabilized tenants by appointing allies to the Rent Guidelines Board to block increases.
- His proposals span fare-free city buses estimated at $600–$800 million annually, universal no-cost childcare projected near $6 billion, five city-run grocery stores, and a $1 billion Department of Community Safety.
- To pay for the agenda, he backs a 2% surcharge on incomes above $1 million and a corporate tax hike to 11.5%, moves that require approval from the governor and state legislature.
- Skeptics—including economists, business leaders, and MTA leadership—warn of higher costs and potential downsides such as tighter housing supply, operational challenges for transit, and pressure on employers.