A major test is already landing on Zohran Mamdani’s doorstep before he even sets foot inside City Hall: whether he’ll sign off on a sweeping salary hike for himself and the City Council. The proposal, driven by Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-Queens), seeks an increase of more than 16% for New York’s elected officials and is positioned to reach Mamdani once he becomes mayor on Jan. 1.
Williams had initially hoped to muscle the bill through before the new administration arrived. But that effort fizzled fast when lawmakers realized they were legally barred from voting on pay raises during the post-election stretch, forcing them to abandon the accelerated timeline.
The scramble raised suspicions across City Hall. Some insiders speculated that council members were trying to either bypass Mamdani entirely or shield him from making an awkward early call on elected officials’ pay.
“The only thing is I think they are worried that the mayor-elect won’t do it,” said Kalman Yeger, a Democratic state Assemblyman and former council member. “They are afraid if they pass it in January and he’d have to veto. How does the mayor-elect justify it, saying the working man can’t afford milk? He can’t sign off to give them a $20,000 raise.”
The legislation Williams unveiled already has a crowded roster of supporters — 32 co-sponsors — including several of Mamdani’s closest political allies: Crystal Hudson, Lincoln Restler and Chi A. Ossé, all Brooklyn Democrats.
But even with that backing, the bill creates an uncomfortable dilemma for the new mayor, who campaigned as a champion of affordability and working-class families. Approving it would signal, critics say, that “making New York more affordable for the political class” is his first priority — as one well-connected source joked.
Under the proposal, the City Council would receive its first salary increase in nearly ten years, lifting its overall payroll from $7.5 million to $8.8 million. Individual members would see their pay rise from $148,500 to $172,500.
And council members wouldn’t be the only ones cashing in. The raises apply across the top ranks of city government, including the mayor, public advocate and borough presidents. For Mamdani, that would mean a jump from $258,750 to $300,500. Comptroller pay would rise from $210,000, the public advocate from $184,000, and borough presidents from $180,000 — each climbing 16% under the bill.
The timing of the push followed growing frustration from several lawmakers who say their salaries have been frozen since 2016 while other city employees have seen steady increases. Williams brought those complaints into the open when she introduced the bill — a move first reported by the New York Daily News.
Her plan to engineer a December vote, however, evaporated when officials noted the city charter blocks any pay decisions between Election Day and January 1. That obstacle forced her to pivot and schedule a hearing instead, which she argued preserves the bill into the next legislative session.
“If we have a hearing on the bill this year, we don’t need a hearing on it next year. It’s pre-considered,” Williams told The NY Post Tuesday.
Asked whether council leadership intended to pass the salary hike early in the new year, Williams was blunt: “That’s the goal.”
Outgoing Speaker Adrienne Adams, who exits office at year’s end, shifted blame toward Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams for letting the pay issue languish. Whether she believes the bill should move forward now, she wouldn’t say, offering only a shrug on her way out the door.
“I’m out of here. I’m out,” she said. “That’s something for the new members.”
{Matzav.com}
Of Course he’ll ok a massive payhike! For himself!