On November 4, 2025, New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani with 50.78% of the vote.
During the campaign, the promises sounded incredible: cheaper living, more services, more government programs for everyone. Free buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, massive housing expansion the kind of platform that makes campaign speeches sound like a holiday wish list.
There was just one tiny question that didn’t seem to get much attention:
How do you pay for all of that when the city is already struggling to pay for the programs it has today?
It’s a little like someone telling you, “I’m basically broke and can barely cover my bills… but don’t worry, this year I’m throwing the biggest Christmas party you’ve ever seen.” At some point, someone has to ask where the money is coming from.
Well… now we’re finding out.
To fund this ambitious agenda, the ideas currently being floated include:
Higher taxes on millionaires
Because obviously the best way to keep wealthy investors around is reminding them every year that the bill just got bigger. But I’m sure none of them have ever heard of places like Florida or Texas. They love New York too much to leave… right?
Higher corporate taxes
Businesses absolutely love rising costs. It’s not like companies ever relocate, close, or move jobs elsewhere when taxes climb. And those reports about thousands of businesses shutting down or leaving recently? Probably just a coincidence.
A possible 9.5% property tax increase
For homeowners, congratulations you’ve just discovered you’re part of a very exclusive club: the New York City Mandatory Donation Program.
Turning free street parking into paid meters
Remember circling the block for 20 minutes and digging your car out of snow just to save a parking spot? Good news: now once you finally find that miracle space… you may get to pay for it too.
But hey, this is all part of the grand vision.
The promise was that these big programs would make life easier and more affordable for everyone.
Maybe they will.
But first comes the part nobody likes to talk about during campaign season:
The bills and the receipts are starting to show up. Who knew 🤷♂️