XPost: alt.politics.republicans, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sac.politics   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: noreply@dirge.harmsk.com   
      
   Mayor Zohran Mamdani laid out two potential paths Tuesday to close what   
   he says is a $5.4 billion dollar budget gap in New York City.   
      
   In one, Albany would raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers. In the   
   other, the City would raise property taxes for the first time since the   
   late 2000s. The City could generate $3.7 billion by raising the property   
   tax by 9.5%, Mamdani said.   
      
   Gov. Kathy Hochul has repeatedly said she is not on board the mayor's   
   first, and more preferred, option. If Albany does not agree to taxing   
   the wealthiest New Yorkers, Mamdani says the city would need to raise   
   property taxes in New York City to fill the budget gap.   
      
   “If we do not go down the first path, the city will be forced down a   
   second, more harmful path. Faced with no other choice…we would have to   
   raise property taxes. We would also have to raid our reserves,” Mamdani   
   said at Tuesday’s briefing.   
      
   “The options of the second path are the options of last resort,” the   
   mayor continued.   
      
   Property taxes stand as the city’s largest source of revenue, and as the   
   only tax within the city’s power to raise.   
      
   The ultimatum from City Hall comes just one day after Hochul announced   
   she would bail the City out with an additional $1.5 billion.   
      
   “I’m not supportive of property tax increase, I don’t know that that’s   
   necessary,” Hochul said at an unrelated event after word of the property   
   tax idea leaked.   
      
   The governor has suggested that Mamdani should look at where adjustments   
   can be made in current spending, weed out any abuses, and avoid “taxing   
   for the sake of taxing.” On Monday, Hochul pledged another $1.5 billion   
   to help dig out the city’s budget hole, in addition to helping him   
   secure new funding for child care programs.   
      
   The last time New York City increased property taxes was under former   
   Mayor Michael Bloomberg's term.   
      
   https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/zohran-mamdani-nyc-budget-plan/6   
   463835/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)