Mayor Mamdani delivered the Fiscal Year 2027 Preliminary Budget (1:41) on February 17, 2026, from City Hall in Manhattan, New York. The presentation detailed the city’s financial challenges and proposed solutions.
Addressing the Inherited Budget Crisis (1:41-2:27): The administration inherited a historic budget gap (2:06), initially projected at $12 billion (2:23) by the previous Mayor Adams’ administration, which had significantly understated the deficits (5:11). The Mayor stated that this deficit was primarily due to the underbudgeting of key areas (6:34):
Strategies to Reduce the Deficit (2:09-11:00): The administration implemented several aggressive measures to lower the deficit from $12 billion to $5.4 billion (2:23):
Aggressive Savings Plan (2:09): This plan involves daily incorporation of updated revenue and bonus estimates, and the deployment of in-year reserves.
Wall Street Profits (7:22): The city incorporated higher-than-expected revenues from record-high Wall Street profits, adding:
$2.4 billion for fiscal year 2026 (7:38)
$4.9 billion for fiscal year 2027 (7:42)
Chief Savings Officers (CSOs) (8:13): An executive order established a CSO in every city agency, tasked with identifying savings (8:23) by:
Consolidating redundancies (8:28).
In-sourcing programs previously outsourced to consultants (8:31).
Eliminating extraneous programs (8:34). CSOs are mandated to issue public reports by March 20th and provide updated assessments every six months (8:37). They have clear goals of achieving 1.5% in savings in fiscal year 2026 and 2.5% in fiscal year 2027 (8:47).
Other Savings Avenues (8:57):
Reducing Current Vacancies (9:02) and removing hiring constraints (9:04).
Hiring 50 new auditors at the Department of Finance, projected to generate $100 million in new revenue per year (9:09).
Adding 200 lawyers to the Law Department to reduce tort liability, anticipating $125 million in savings in fiscal year 2027 alone (9:16).
State Aid (9:56): Governor Hochul announced a $1.5 billion contribution in state aid (10:00), which includes:
$150 million per year by reversing the distressed hospital sales tax intercept (10:17).
$60 million per year by reversing a public health cost shift (10:24).
$300 million per year invested in youth programming (10:29).
$500 million in one-time unrestricted state aid (10:32).
An additional $97 million in recurring aid from the state school aid formula (10:43).
Two Paths to Bridge the Gap (2:47-4:02, 11:03-11:34): The Mayor outlined two distinct paths for bridging the remaining $5.4 billion deficit:
Path One: Sustainable and Fair (2:50): This involves ending the drain on the city and raising taxes on the richest New Yorkers (2:56) (those earning over $1 million a year) and the most profitable corporations (2:58). This path would repair the structural imbalance where NYC contributes 54.5% to the state’s revenue but receives only 40.5% in return (26:46).
Path Two: Harmful and Last Resort (3:22): If path one is not taken, the city would be forced to raise property taxes (3:35) and raid reserves (3:38). The proposed property tax increase, if implemented, would be 9.5% (24:55), impacting all four classes of properties (23:30).
Preliminary Budget Details and Investments (13:31-16:45): The preliminary budget is balanced at $122 billion in fiscal year 2026 and $127 billion in fiscal year 2027 (13:40).
Spending Breakdown by Agency (13:50):
40% of funding to the Department of Education (DOE).
26% to social services.
12% to uniformed agencies.
22% to other agencies.
Increased Expenses (14:15): City expenses are increasing by over $14 billion to fund previously unbudgeted needs from the Adams administration (14:20), including $7.5 billion for six underbudgeted areas and $5.85 billion for other unfunded needs (14:24).
New Programmatic Spending (14:47): Only 4% ($576 million) of city dollars represent new programmatic spending (14:47), which includes:
Opening warming centers (15:00).
Increasing snow removal budgets (15:00).
Investing in clinical and behavioral health services (15:16).
Tripling funding for emergency food programs (15:38).
Capital Plan (15:51): A $13 billion preliminary 5-year capital plan (16:01) includes major investments in:
Transportation.
Environmental protection.
Housing.
Schools.
NYCHA developments: $662 million in fiscal year 2027 to boost renovations, and over $38 million to install heat pumps in 700+ housing units in the Rockaways (16:17).
Bellevue Hospital: Over $48 million to expand the adult comprehensive psychiatric emergency program (16:34).
Commitment to Affordability Agenda (52:20-53:44): Despite the fiscal crisis, the Mayor reiterated commitment to key campaign promises:
Universal Childcare: Delivering universal childcare (52:39) including fixing 3K and providing free childcare for 2-year-olds (52:51), starting with 2,000 seats this year and expanding to 12,000 seats next year (52:58).
Free Buses: Continuing efforts to make buses faster and free (53:08).
The Mayor emphasized that the preliminary budget reflects the second path out of necessity, but the administration will work to ensure the final budget reflects the first path of taxing the wealthy and ending the drain on the city (17:05).
City Hall, Blue Room Manhattan, NY February 17, 2026
News 12 Brooklyn’s Post: The former Macy’s building in Downtown Brooklyn is lit up again, now glowing with vibrant fuchsia and purple lights as part of an installation called “In Every Transition, A Pattern” by Masary Studios.
Funded through a city program that awarded 13 public realm grants totaling just over $1 million, the project aims to reactivate commercial corridors and is a welcome change for some residents.
City and business leaders say the display is meant not only to beautify the vacant storefront, but also to boost foot traffic and support local businesses along Fulton Street.
Opinion: Maybe instead of handing out millions in taxpayer money to “friendly” nonprofits to create the illusion of a comeback, the city should cut—or even suspend—property taxes for both residents and businesses (yes, like “horrible Trump” has suggested) and make rent in that building affordable for real stores. What we’re getting now isn’t revitalization—it’s glowing, empty windows: retail ghosts.
At this point, it feels less like rebuilding and more like turning New York into a Potemkin showcase—lights on in vacant buildings to convince “tourists from the West” that progressive socialism is thriving.
New York City is recruiting lifeguards now (yes, in winter) to prepare for the summer season and keep pools and beaches safer. Qualifying tests are held across all five boroughs through the winter, and February 28, 2026 is the last day to register. To qualify, applicants must be at least 16 by July 18, 2026, pass a vision exam (with specific minimum vision standards), and complete a 50-yard swim in 50 seconds or less using proper form. City officials say more lifeguards means more open swim time, more lessons, and a safer, more enjoyable summer for everyone. Registration and details are on NYC Parks’ Lifeguard Qualifying .
On February 5, 2026, the amendment was brought up for a vote. Every Democratic member of the New York State Senate voted against the proposal, so it failed.
Once upon a winter day in New York State, a State Senator named Mark Walczyk had an idea to help everyday people. Many families were struggling with very high utility bills — the cost of keeping their lights on and homes warm was putting a strain on their wallets. NYsenate.gov
Senator Walczyk thought, “There’s money that’s been set aside but not used. What if we returned that money to people so their bills could be a little lower?” So he proposed a plan to take $2 billion of unused funds and use it to give credits on utility bills, which could help families pay less. nysenate.gov/
But when it was time for the measure to be voted on in the New York State Senate, something surprising happened. Every Democratic Senator said no to the plan. They all voted against it — even though it was meant to take effect right away and help with the high costs people were facing. nysenate.gov/
Senator Walczyk was disappointed. He said that this was a missed chance to help New Yorkers struggling with energy costs. And that’s how the day’s big idea to lower energy bills ended — not with a yes, but with a big no in the Senate.
What the Proposed Measure Would Do
The proposal was offered as an amendment on the floor of the New York State Senate by Republican senators including Mark Walczyk and Tom O’Mara.
It aimed to provide immediate relief for New Yorkers facing high utility bills by allowing unused funds in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Climate Investment Account to be returned directly to utility ratepayers as bill credits. Around $2 billion was cited as available from previously collected surcharges that hadn’t yet been spent.
Sponsors argued these funds were already paid by ratepayers through charges on their utility bills and could be used to offset steep increases in energy costs many households face.
Why Democrats Opposed It
There hasn’t been a detailed official public explanation in the press release itself of Democrats’ specific reasoning for voting against this particular amendment. However, broader reporting on the context around utility-cost policy in Albany shows:
The Democratic majority in the Senate has been advancing a separate legislative package focused on longer-term utility rate reforms — including changes to how utility rates are set and how regulatory authority is exercised — rather than one-time refunds or credits. nysenate.gov/
Democratic leaders have emphasized systemic changes to the rate-setting process through bills meant to increase transparency, strengthen the Public Service Commission’s oversight, and protect consumers over time, rather than simply returning existing funds as credits. timesunion.com
Some analysts and social media discussions note that Democrats may prefer a more comprehensive overhaul of energy policy and rate structures rather than targeted bill credits that Republicans proposed in this amendment.
What connection does this “climate fund” have to reality, and why are people being charged for it?
What is this fund and who manages it? This refers to climate and “green” accounts administered by NYSERDA — the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The money is accumulated in various climate and energy programs under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
Formally, this is not a single “wallet,” but a collection of funds and accounts into which money flows for climate-related goals.
Where does the money come from (the key point)? ❗ These are not abstract grants or “money out of thin air.”
The main sources are:
surcharges and add-ons in electricity and gas bills;
fees imposed on energy companies, which are passed on to consumers;
revenues from emissions allowance trading;
mandatory “climate contributions” built into utility rates.
In simple terms: ordinary residents and businesses pay for it every month through their utility bills.
What is the official purpose of collecting this money?
The stated goals are:
transition to “clean energy”;
reduction of CO₂ emissions;
subsidies for solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicles;
grants for “green” projects and NGOs;
funding long-term climate programs through 2030–2040.
On paper, this looks like an investment in the future.
Where does the disconnect with reality arise?
This is where issues of trust and common sense begin:
People pay now, while the benefits are hypothetical and deferred. Bills are rising today. The “climate benefits” are promised in 10–20 years.
The fund is weakly connected to actual bill reductions. In practice, climate programs more often increase utility rates than decrease them.
Money accumulates while the crisis is ignored. When billions of dollars sit unused in accounts, yet people are told, “Be patient, now is not the time to return the money,” that starts to look like bureaucratic absurdity rather than climate policy.
Lack of emergency logic. Climate change is a long-term issue. Rising utility bills are an urgent social problem. Yet authorities consciously place ideology above people’s ability to pay.
Why critics see this fund as disconnected from reality
Because:
the fund does not protect consumers, but uses them as a source of financing;
money is collected mandatorily, but not returned even during crises;
decisions are made by technocrats and politicians, while ordinary ratepayers foot the bill;
climate rhetoric is used as a universal justification for additional charges.
In effect, it looks like this:
“We know you’re struggling, but the climate matters more than your heating bill.”
In its current form, the climate fund:
has a weak connection to people’s everyday reality;
is financed through what amounts to a hidden tax in utility bills;
is treated as untouchable reserve money, even when households are suffocating under rising costs.
That is why the refusal to return at least part of these funds looks less like care for the future and more like indifference to the present.
– Today ( February 6, 2026), at the first annual Interfaith Breakfast (The NYC mayor’s interfaith breakfast was established as an annual tradition by Mike Bloomberg in 2002, ) of his administration, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced sweeping new actions to uphold New York City’s sanctuary city laws and protect immigrant New Yorkers. The breakfast brought together nearly 400 faith and community leaders from across the five boroughs.
During the event, Mayor Mamdani signed a comprehensive executive order to reaffirm the city’s commitment to being a sanctuary for all New Yorkers. The order protects the privacy and data of immigrants and all residents; bolsters restrictions on federal immigration enforcement on city property; initiates an audit to make sure city agencies are complying with sanctuary laws; and establishes a committee to coordinate crisis response across city government in the event of escalating federal immigration actions or other major events.
Mayor Mamdani also launched a citywide “Know Your Rights” push, distributing nearly 32,000 flyers and booklets in 10 languages for faith leaders to share with their congregations. The materials provide clear, accessible information about New Yorkers’ rights during interactions with federal immigration authorities, including the right to remain silent, the right to speak to an attorney, and the right to a translator.
“Across this country, day after day, we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience. Masked agents, paid by our own tax dollars, violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors,” said Mayor Mamdani. “That is why this morning, I am signing an executive order that will strengthen our city’s protection of our fellow New Yorkers from abusive immigration enforcement. This order is a sweeping reaffirmation of our commitment to our immigrant neighbors. We have also prepared 30,000 guides to New Yorkers’ rights in ten languages spoken by some of the most heavily targeted populations in our city, teaching our neighbors what to do if ICE comes for them. These guides are here today, ready for you to take. If you run out, we will print more. I urge you to share these with your congregants — even those who are citizens, even those whom you think ICE may not target. These materials apply to us all: those who have been here for five generations, those who arrived last year. They apply to us all because the obligation is upon us all. To love thy neighbor, to look out for the stranger.”
Executive Order 13
Executive Order 13 takes critical steps to keep not only immigrant New Yorkers but all New Yorkers safe from aggressive, unlawful, and xenophobic federal actions as well as deepen trust between New Yorkers and their city government.
Executive Order 13 reaffirms that information collected by city agencies for city purposes must remain protected and cannot be shared with federal immigration authorities, except as required by law. Under the order, each agency has 14 days to appoint a privacy officer, conduct training, and certify compliance with sanctuary protections limiting information sharing.
Executive Order 13 also makes clear that city property — including parking garages, parking lots, schools, shelters, hospitals, and other public spaces — is for city purposes only. Federal authorities may not enter city property without a judicial warrant. The order also directs core agencies to develop and distribute training for city employees on how to interact with federal immigration authorities.
Moreover, Executive Order 13 requires agencies — including the NYPD, New York City Department of Correction (DOC), New York City Department of Probation (DOP), Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), and Department of Social Services (DSS) — to conduct comprehensive audits of all internal policies governing interactions with federal immigration authorities, update protocols and guidance as needed, and provide public transparency into any new policies that are created as a result.
Finally, Executive Order 13 establishes an Interagency Response Committee to coordinate crisis policy across city agencies and ensure a whole-of-government response.
“Know Your Rights” Push
As part of the new “Know Your Rights” push, the city is distributing nearly 32,000 flyers and booklets to faith institutions across New York City. The materials are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Bangla, Russian, Arabic, Kreyole, Urdu, and Yiddish – languages spoken by those most targeted by federal immigration crackdowns.
The materials outline key rights and options during encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including the right to remain silent, the right to ask for a judicial warrant, the right to speak with an attorney and the right to request an interpreter. They also explain New York City’s sanctuary laws and provide information about the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Legal Support Hotline.
The hotline — available Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; and on the last Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM — offers free information and referrals to immigration legal assistance at 1-800-354-0365. During his remarks, Mayor Mamdani called on faith leaders to help ensure this information reaches every corner of the city by distributing the flyers to their congregations.
Below are Mayor Mamdani’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
Good morning. What a privilege it is to be here with you all. I join everyone present in sending our best wishes to Rabbi Schneier, and our hopes for a quick recovery.
And I know that many of us are shocked by the news that we’ve just heard from Pakistan, where dozens of people were killed in a horrific attack on a Shia Mosque. Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raajioon.
I look around this room, and I see the faces of friends I have marched with through searing heat and bracing cold. People I have mourned alongside, celebrated alongside, organized alongside. And I see so many others I have only just met, but whom I am eager to work alongside to improve New York.
And I see those whom the people of this city turn to for guidance and grace. This city may have only one Mayor, but it has countless leaders. When our neighbors seek to make sense of a world where sense is not there to be found, they often turn first not to those they elected, but to you.
Thank you for welcoming me today — and for all that you do, in ways seen and unseen, for those you serve.
I was raised in New York City as a Muslim kid with a Hindu mother. I celebrated Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha with my family, lit diyas in Riverside Park for Diwali, and like any New Yorker, encountered faiths different from my own. I still remember coming home from a friend’s Bar Mitzvah one night and demanding an explanation from my father. “Baba,” I asked, “Why don’t Muslim kids have Bar Mitzvahs too?”
And over the past fifteen months, as I ran to become Mayor of our incredible city, that encounter only deepened as I came face-to-face with the living tapestry of faith that is New York.
Faith, we’re told, is the belief in things unseen. And while it certainly took faith to imagine a thing truly unseen—a path to victory—it was nothing compared to the faith I saw New Yorkers summon just to make it through the day. Faith that the bus would arrive. Faith that somehow, some way, the rent would get paid. Faith that a leader would place the concerns of the many before the interests of the few.
I saw that faith everywhere. On subways and street corners, at forums and front doors. And increasingly, as the winter snow melted into the renewal of spring and then the heat of summer, I found it where many New Yorkers return, week after week, in search of meaning.
You welcomed a stranger into your sanctuaries. And whether we were together at Shul, at church services on Saturday or Sunday morning, at a Gurdwara or a mosque or a mandir or a temple, New Yorkers told me of the worries they hold close, the dreams they refuse to let go.
What a gift they gave me. Not just understanding New York better — but understanding how close we truly are.
Because for all our different faiths, we share a common belief: that our city can be restored, and it must. That the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world has enough for everyone to live a life of dignity. That we need not worship the same God to share the same values, or to fight for the same future.
If anything unifies every religion across our city, it is an understanding of faith not solely as a tool for reflection, but as a call to action.
Standing before you today, I think of Deuteronomy 10:17-18, which describes the lord as one who: “shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the orphan and the widow, and loves the stranger residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
Over the past fifteen months, New Yorkers of all faiths built a movement inspired by that cause of the orphan, the widow, and the stranger.
Seniors spent hours making phone calls to strangers because they believed every kid deserves child care. If that is not defending the cause of the orphan, what is?
Neighbors climbed six-floor walkups to knock doors because they believed a single mother in a rent-stabilized apartment should be able to sleep easily on the last night of the month, knowing that her rent would not climb the next day. If that is not defending the cause of the widow, what is?
And today, my friends, I want to reflect on the third charge: loving the stranger.
Across this country, day after day, we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience. Masked agents, paid by our own tax dollars, violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors. They arrive as if atop a pale horse, and they leave a path of wreckage in their wake. People ripped from their cars. Guns drawn against the unarmed. Families torn apart. Lives shattered—quietly, swiftly, brutally.
If these are not attacks upon the stranger among us, what is?
This cruelty is no faraway concept. ICE operates here in New York. In our courthouses. Our workplaces. They skulk at 26 Federal Plaza—the same building where I waited in fear as my father had his citizenship interview.
If these are not attacks upon the stranger among us, what is?
ICE is more than a rogue agency — it is a manifestation of the abuse of power. And it is also new. It was founded only in 2002. Four Mayors ago, it did not exist. Its wrongs need not be treated as inevitable or inherited. In fact, there is no reforming something so rotten and base.
I think of a story that Reverend Galbreath — the senior pastor at Clarendon Road Church — shared recently. Two Haitian immigrants in his congregation, a father and son, had traveled to 26 Federal Plaza for fingerprinting. The man’s wife, the boy’s mother, had gone the week before without incident. They thought little of the trip. It was routine. In New York, surely one would be safe at an appointment like this.
And then, without explanation or warning, they were whisked away. ICE took them first to the Brooklyn Detention Center. The next day, they were flown to Louisiana. They felt hopeless and helpless, Reverend Galbreath said. Hopeless and helpless.
If these are not attacks upon the stranger among us, what is?
As the federal government attacks our neighbors — those who worship in the next pew over — they command us not to believe what we see. They compel us, as George Orwell wrote nearly eighty years ago, “to reject the evidence of our eyes and ears.” And they would succeed, were it not for the many among us who have not only read the scripture, but who live the scripture—those who refuse to abandon the stranger.
I speak of Renee Good, whose final words to the man who murdered her moments later were: “I’m not mad at you.”
I speak of Alex Pretti, who died as he lived, caring for the stranger. Here was a man who held the hand of the afraid and the afflicted in their final moments. Here was a man who dedicated his life to healing those he had never met. ICE shot him ten times because he did something they could never fathom doing themselves: he extended his arm towards a stranger—not to push her down, but to help her up.
I speak of the tens of thousands across our city and nation who took to snowbound streets in the dead of winter, refusing to allow those with the most power to impose their will upon those with the least.
If that is not love for the stranger among us, what is?
In a moment such as this, I look to the Bhagavad Gita, which teaches us that the highest calling is to become someone “who sees the true equality of all living beings and responds to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.”
Each of us has been a stranger at one point in our lives. Each of us has known the feeling of arriving somewhere new alone, of depending on the kindness of someone else. As ICE fosters a culture of suspicion and fear, let this city of strangers set an example for how to make the sorrows of others our own. Let us offer a new path — one of defiance through compassion.
In so doing, we can offer something more expansive and durable than a mere rejection of atrocity. We can rely on our faith to offer an embrace of one another. After all, few forces hold as much power to extend humanity to all. As Dr. King once said: “The church is the one place where a doctor ought to forget that he’s a doctor. The church is the one place where the lawyer ought to forget that he’s a lawyer. When the church is true to its nature, it says, “Whosoever will, let him come.”
That doctrine—whosoever will, let him come — is not limited to Christianity. Each of our faiths asks the same of us.
I think of Exodus 23:9, the words of the Torah: “Thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Few have stood so steadfast alongside the persecuted as Jewish New Yorkers. I think of Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who gave their lives alongside James Chaney so that all could exercise the right to the franchise. I think of Rabbi Heschel and marched from Selma alongside Dr. King. And I think of Yip Harburg, born on the Lower East Side, who wrote ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ and uplifted Americans waiting on breadlines during the Great Depression.
I think of the freedom from suffering that Buddhism teaches us is only possible if we remove the three poisons of desire, hatred, and ignorance from our daily lives. We need not accept suffering as unchangeable. We need not treat hatred as the natural state. We have the power to set ourselves free.
And I consider my own faith, Islam, a religion built upon a narrative of migration. The story of the Hijra reminds us that Prophet Muhammad (SWT) was a stranger too, who fled Mecca and was welcomed in Medina. Sura An-Nahl 16:42 tells us: “As for those who emigrated in the cause of Allah after being persecuted, we will surely bless them with a good home in this world.”
Or, as the Prophet Muhammad (SWT) said: “Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.”
If faith offers us the moral compass to stand alongside the stranger, government can provide the resources. Let us create a new expectation of City Hall, where power is wielded to love, to embrace, to protect. We will stand with the stranger today, tomorrow, and all the days that are still to come.
That is why this morning, I am signing an executive order that will uphold our city’s protection not just of our fellow immigrant New Yorkers — but of all New Yorkers — from abusive immigration enforcement.
This order is a sweeping reaffirmation of our commitment to our immigrant neighbors and to public safety as a whole. We will make clear that ICE will not be able to enter New York City property without a judicial warrant. That means our schools, our shelters, our hospitals, our parking lots.
We will protect New Yorkers’ private data from being unlawfully accessed by the federal government and stand firmly against any effort to intrude on our privacy. No New Yorker should be afraid to apply for city services like child care because they are an immigrant.
This order will mandate that essential city agencies are complying with city laws and conduct thorough audits of all policies guiding agency interactions with immigration authorities.
And it will establish an Interagency Response Committee, so that in the event of a major crisis, we are ready and equipped to do the job of protecting New Yorkers. We will create a centralized mechanism for coordinating policy across agencies, so that government speaks with one voice in times of need.
City Hall will not look away.
But we need our faith leaders with us. Your moral clarity, your integrity — they are the pillars upon which countless movements for justice have been built. Many of you have long practiced the tradition of supporting the forgotten and the downtrodden. When our immigrant neighbors are in trouble, they often turn first to their faith networks — for counsel, for legal aid, for someone to accompany them to court.
Today, I call upon you to help us give language to courage. Help us remind New Yorkers that they are not alone.
We have prepared 30,000 guides to New Yorkers’ rights, in ten languages spoken by some of the most heavily targeted populations in our city, teaching our neighbors what to do if ICE comes for them. These guides are here today, ready for you to take. If you run out, we will print more.
I urge you to share these with your congregants — even those who are citizens, even those whom you think ICE may not target. These materials apply to us all: those who have been here for five generations, those who arrived last year. They apply to us all because the obligation is upon us all. To love thy neighbor, to look out for the stranger.
If we are truly to champion the cause of the stranger, let these materials serve as instructions for how to stand in solidarity. If anything can turn back the rising tide of hatred, it is a chorus of those who worship differently and live differently, singing the same undaunted song.
For we are all New Yorkers. And yet that has not always been accepted.
My friends — for as long as people have called New York home, a question has been contested: who is a New Yorker? At each juncture, many have sought to narrow the answer. The stranger has been ostracized on job postings, on placards denying entry to restaurants and shops, in neighborhoods where only some New Yorkers were allowed to live. Every conceivable crack has been exploited into a chasm of division.
On every occasion where the forces of darkness have raised the question, “Who is a New Yorker?” The people of this city have offered our own answer. All of us.
And yet we know that that answer is not permanent, nor is it predetermined. Each generation must assert what we know to be true, because New York serves as living proof—we are stronger when we welcome the stranger.
This will not be an easy contest. Those on the other side, the ICE agents of the world, hold power and weaponry and a sense of impunity. And yet, we hold one advantage over them, one advantage that no matter how hard they try, they cannot overcome, as they mask their faces to attack and murder: we are not ashamed of our answer.
So let us answer the question — who is a New Yorker? — once more, with conviction, and without shame. It is all of us.
So together, New York, let us advance the cause of the orphan.
Together, New York, let us advance the cause of the widow.
Together, New York, let us love the stranger among us, because we are them, and they are us.
In this video, Governor Hochul discusses her proposals to reduce vehicle insurance rates and combat fraudulent claims in New York State (5:54). She highlights that New Yorkers pay some of the highest insurance rates in the nation, attributing this to rampant fraud and excessive litigation costs (6:44).
Key points of her proposal include:
Reforming tort laws (9:23) to prevent individuals who cause accidents (especially those driving under the influence, without a license, or committing felonies) from receiving large emotional distress or pain and suffering payouts from victims’ premiums.
Establishing a cross-agency task force (10:28) and reimagining the Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Board to crack down on scammers.
Strengthening penalties (10:52) for those who break the law.
She cites Florida as an example where similar reforms led to a significant drop in insurance rates (9:32). Matt Unger, co-owner of Tax Auto Body and Service, supports the Governor’s initiative, explaining how fraud manifests in repair shops and impacts honest customers through higher premiums and longer claim times (13:29).
Governor Hochul: “You can have a situation where someone causes the accident intentionally and gets a huge personal injury payout. So we’re putting the brakes on that fraud. Enough is enough here in the State of New York… I don’t want to have a system anymore that rewards dangerous behavior. So if you’re driving drunk, driving without a license or committing a felony at the time of the crash or cause the accident, you should not get a payday. I’m not sure who can argue with that. We’ll start by reforming our tort laws to protect people who play by the rules and insulate the personal injury system from abuse.”
Hochul: “We’re going to continue in the State of New York to find ways to reduce your cost of living. And if one of those drivers of high costs is your insurance rates, we’re going to peel back and find the causes. We’ve identified them and now we’re doing something about it in this session of the Legislature.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted her proposals to bring down costs of vehicle insurance rates and tackle fraudulent claims across New York State. The Governor is taking common—sense steps to battle fraud, limit damages paid out to bad actors and ensure that consumers, not insurance companies, are prioritized. These proposals build on Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to make the state more affordable and put money back into the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Good morning, everyone. I don’t know if any of you have been here before, but this is a second generation car repair, known as TACS. Matt Ungererand his brothers, and Matt is the oldest. What’s your name again? Kevin is the second oldest, and then Ryan is the baby. So, a family business. We had a great conversation about what they’re seeing as they see hundreds of vehicles come through this repair shop, you know, since 1979 and why car insurance rates seem to be just going higher and higher and higher.
And so I’ve talked a lot about affordability. This is my, you know, one of my top priorities: public safety and affordability. And I’m proud that last year we found ways to put money back in people’s pockets, upwards of $5,000. But now we’re trying to say, “What else is disturbing you? What is that bill at the end of the month or quarterly that is just driving you crazy because you don’t know why it’s going up?” So, I want to put a spotlight on this issue once again and acknowledge that some accidents really are just that – they’re accidents. But others are a result of a system that’s just riddled with bad actors and fraud and excessive greed that rewards criminals in illegal behavior. And that’s one of the reasons why New Yorkers pay some of the highest insurance rates in the entire nation, averaging $4,000 a year, which is a whopping $1,500 a year higher than the national average.
So, this doesn’t exist just because every New Yorker did something wrong, but because as I said, the rampant fraud, the runaway litigation costs that are also jacking up prices. You can have emotional distress payouts to the drivers who actually caused the accident in the first place. It doesn’t make any sense. And here’s how it happens: you have these uninsured drivers, scofflaw motorists, even drunk drivers. They’re all distorting the risk pool. So you have these owners of a business, three brothers, who have never filed claims. You know why? Because they fixed their own vehicles. And yet their premiums are going up higher and higher and higher. So you’ve got to just ask why. What’s going on here?
So, someone could be driving drunk without a license, cause an accident, and recover for emotional distress. Or a reckless driver who hits another car will sue for pain and suffering. And a driver who causes an accident can be entitled to—not just modest payouts—but literally millions and millions of dollars from the premiums of regular policy owners, which means all of you. So a drunk driver hits you while you’re crossing the street, turns around and sues you for emotional distress, or the person who rear ends you and is found 80 percent at fault, is then suing you for emotional distress.
Also, this is frightening because there’s been an increase in this, the number of criminals who are now staging accidents. You know, you’ll hear about this, how this is happening with more frequency. The purpose is to defraud drivers through our no-fault laws and collect outsized payments. And again, who do these costs get passed down to? All the motorists in New York.
So you can have a situation where someone causes the accident intentionally and gets a huge personal injury payout. So we’re putting the brakes on that fraud. Enough is enough here in the State of New York. Obviously this is taking on a big fight. It’s been a problem for a while. It’s getting worse, but nobody else is willing to stand up and say, “Why is this happening and how can we do something about it?”
So I don’t want to have a system anymore that rewards dangerous behavior. So if you’re driving drunk, driving without a license or committing a felony at the time of the crash or cause the accident, you should not get a payday. I’m not sure who can argue with that. We’ll start by reforming our tort laws to protect people who play by the rules and insulate the personal injury system from abuse.
Now, another state, Florida—and I have to admit this, I don’t usually follow the lead of Florida—but this is one area where they took a serious look at what was driving up their high insurance rates. They instituted very similar changes to these and over a one or two year period, the insurance rates literally plummeted. In some cases by 20 percent, and they gave a rebate back to the policy holders.
So I want to be very clear, if someone is involved in an accident, they’re still entitled to fair compensation for damages. That’s just how we’ll continue this. But what they’re not entitled to is millions and millions of dollars of additional compensation from suing the victims of an accident they caused. That’s the scope of the approach we’re taking here. Other states already have these in place, so it’s not new, it’s not earth shaking, and so should New York. We’ll also have a cross agency task force and reimagine the existing motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud board so our State Police and the Department of Financial Services continue to crack down on swindlers and scammers. I want to make it easier to prosecute those who are involved in stage accidents. Again, that number, if you look statistically across the nation, we’re becoming one of the highest. Also strengthen the penalties for those who break the law.
So let me wrap up by saying this: It’s really simple, everybody. We’re going to continue in the State of New York to find ways to reduce your cost of living. And if one of those drivers of high costs is your insurance rates, we’re going to peel back and find the causes. We’ve identified them and now we’re doing something about it in this session of the Legislature. So, I hope you all join me in that effort.
And I want to thank our friends here from TACS and hear from them directly, not just what it’s like to be three brothers running a business—they all get along really well, I already asked this question—but to find out what they’re seeing firsthand as they work in a very well-known, popular, reputable repair shop here as well.
At a press conference at the
Bronx Museum of the Arts
,
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced five major appointments spanning justice reform, public health,
youth development, veteran services, and the city’s administrative court system. Before the introductions, he also
delivered a winter operations update: “code blue” remains in effect, shelter outreach is intensified,
and New Yorkers were urged to check on vulnerable neighbors.
Winter Weather Update — the “snow math”
67 million lbs of snow melted
188 million lbs of salt spread citywide
2,500 sanitation workers on 12-hour shifts (plus additional staffing for the weekend)
Code Blue: intensified outreach; shelters should not turn people away
The Five Appointments
1) Stanley Richards — NYC Department of Correction
Richards was named Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction. The announcement emphasized a justice-reform
approach focused on safety, dignity, and re-entry, and noted he is described as the first formerly incarcerated
person to lead the department.
2) Dr. Alistair Martin — Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
An emergency-room physician with public health and government experience, Dr. Martin will oversee the city’s
public health apparatus and framed the mission as ensuring high-quality healthcare is not a privilege.
3) Sandra Escamia Davies — Youth & Community Development
Davies was appointed Commissioner of NYC’s youth and community development agency, emphasizing youth as “assets”
and calling for access regardless of ZIP code, with programs connected to credentials, pay, and jobs.
4) Yenya Mata — Department of Veterans’ Services
Mata was named Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services, pledging support for the city’s veterans and
military families across housing, healthcare, and benefits navigation.
5) Vilda Vera Mayuga — OATH (Administrative Trials and Hearings)
Mayuga was appointed Commissioner of OATH, the city’s administrative law court, with a modernization agenda aimed
at making the process simpler and more straightforward than traditional court proceedings.
Q&A Highlights
Jail conditions: the administration said it is coordinating with the remediation manager to improve conditions.
Power outages: the mayor said the city will exhaust options to keep residents warm, including hotel placements if needed.
Cold-front fatalities: he announced the total reached 14 outdoor deaths since the cold front began; outreach and shelter placements were expanded.
World Cup planning: “World Cup Czar” Maya Honda was tasked with turning the event into a citywide celebration involving small businesses.
Appearing live in studio on PIX11 News on January 29, 2026, Mayor Mamdani addressed New York City’s reported $12 billion budget deficit, arguing it will take an “all-of-the-above” plan: pressuring Albany for a better revenue-share deal, seeking higher taxes on millionaires and highly profitable corporations, and launching a citywide hunt for operational efficiencies. In a made-for-TV moment, he signed an executive order on-air requiring every agency to appoint a Chief Savings Officer within five days and deliver a savings/efficiency review within 45 days, while insisting service cuts are a last resort unless state support and tax policy don’t change. He also condemned the car-ramming attack at 770, calling antisemitism a present-day threat, and said final interviews are underway for his Mayor’s Office antisemitism post.
New York. Mayor Mamdani Appears Live on PIX 11
Dan Mannarino: Mayor Zohran Mamdani has painted a grim picture for New York City’s budget, which now has a $12 billion budget deficit to fill. Mayor Mamdani pointed the finger at previous administrations, while saying that he will deliver an on-time, balanced budget on February 17th. So, the question is how? The mayor is joining me now live to talk about this and make an announcement. Mr. Mayor, great to see you.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Great to see you as well. Thank you for having me.
Mannarino: Of course, and great to have you here in studio. I think it’s your first as mayor so it’s great to have you here. Before we get to the announcement and the budget, I do want to talk about what we saw play out in Brooklyn last night at the synagogue there. Any indication as the investigation plays out that that individual is looking to commit a hate crime?
Mayor Mamdani: So, it’s currently being investigated. I have to say, I was there on the scene last night at 770 Chabad World Headquarters and it was a horrifying incident where a man repeatedly and intentionally crashed his car into the building and I am so thankful that no one was hurt and we know that this is a building that has immense meaning to so many Jewish New Yorkers and those across the world.
And yesterday’s attack also took place on the yahrzeit of Rabbi Schneerson and the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and this is just a day after the day when we remember the victims of the Holocaust, and we know that antisemitism is not simply something of the past to be learned about. It is a living, breathing thing that we have to combat every day.
Mannarino: Today, the City Council is expected to announce a task force to fight antisemitism and the question for you is: Have you found somebody to lead your own Office to Combat Antisemitism within the Mayor’s Office? When can we expect to see that up and running?
Mayor Mamdani: So, we are actually in our final interviews for that position. And that is going to be a key position that delivers on our commitment to root out antisemitism across the five boroughs, and make this a city where Jewish New Yorkers are not just safe, but frankly celebrated and cherished.
Mannarino: Sometime next week?
Mayor Mamdani: We’re working on the timeline but it is in the final stages.
Mannarino: Okay Mr. Mayor, and you are here today to talk about the big announcement, which is a $12 billion deficit. You said the city has not seen something like this since the Great Depression. You said you were given a poison chalice by previous administrations. So on behalf of so many New Yorkers who heard that noise and that news, what is the answer to bring So on behalf of so many New Yorkers who heard that noise and that news, what is the answer to budget down on time and on budget?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I think first, as you said, this is [a] $12 billion fiscal deficit. The last time New York saw a fiscal crisis anywhere close to this was the Great Recession. And yet, this actually eclipses that. This is a greater deficit than we saw at the time. It’s going to require an all-of-the-above approach. So, we said, this will require the city’s relationship with the state [to] change. What I mean by that is, today the city contributes 54.5 percent of the state’s revenue [and] receives 40.5 percent in return. The second is going to require a relationship change between the city and its wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations.
I’ve spoken a lot with you across New York City about how I think we should raise income taxes on those who make a million dollars or more by two percent, [and] how we should raise corporate taxes on the most profitable corporations. The third thing it’s also going to require is the city pursuing savings and efficiencies within its own operating budget. And so. that is something that I’m actually here to speak to you today about also, is the creation of savings officers within every single agency that will be tasked with assessing the efficacy of programs we have, the efficiencies that we currently have or are being denied, and what steps we need to take to make the kinds of changes to bring us back to a firm financial.
Mannarino: And you want that done yesterday. So, you have an executive order that you’re calling all city agencies to do right now in implementing and appointing these chief savings officers.
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, and that’s actually the executive order that I have with me right here. This is a directive that, within five days, every single agency head has to identify a chief savings officer. And then within 45 days, those officers have to come back to us with a full assessment of the savings that could be pursued, the efficiencies that we’re currently seeing, and the programs that frankly need to be sunsetted or are not effective.
Mannarino: Okay, so go ahead, put your John Hancock on that. And that will become officially an executive order as of this moment, right?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, this is now an executive order, the first to be signed on PIX11.
Mannarino: There we go. So let me ask you what exactly that means. The previous administration, Eric Adams, cut from city agencies. For example, libraries were cut, right? Are you expecting agencies to look at some of these things and implement cuts? And how soon?
Mayor Mamdani: I think what we’re first talking about are efficiencies and savings. We’re talking about the things that we could be doing better.
Mannarino: Is that cuts?
Mayor Mamdani: No, I would say, cuts are a matter of last resort, right? We do not want to be cutting the services that New Yorkers are relying on. If the state does not change its relationship to the city, if it does not raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and the most profitable corporations, then all that leaves the city with, are the most painful tools. However, we want to do everything we can to ensure that those are not the tools we have to use.
Mannarino: But cuts could be on the table, as a last resort.
Mayor Mamdani: That is what we are left with if we are not able to change these relationships. That’s why we’re pursuing the relationship.
Mannarino: You talked a lot about Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, but the City Council was also involved in the budget-making process. Governor Kathy Hochul had four years to kind of implement some changes to Governor Cuomo’s budgets. Do you look at that as part of the reason we’re in this crisis, that there was failure on all levels?
Mayor Mamdani: I see the architects of this crisis being the prior mayor and the prior governor. I think that there have been steps taken in the past few years, especially under Governor Hochul’s leadership, to change some of that cost-sharing between the city and the state. It’s not been an exercise in cruelty towards the city coffers that we saw for about a decade. However, there’s more that needs to be done.
And what we have now, for the first time in a long time, is a directive from our own City Hall, from myself, to go to Albany and be honest and direct about what we need from Albany. That’s what we’re going to do.
Mannarino: What about President Trump? Does he play a role? Does he play a part in this crisis?
Mayor Mamdani: Well, I think President Trump has said himself in the Oval Office right after we had a meeting that the better New York City does, the happier he is. And what we’ve seen is that right now, New York City is in need of a change in its fiscal relationship with a number of the things I’ve listed, but also needs to be protected from some of the federal policies that are being put forward. And I’ve been honest about the fact that some of these proposals would devastate our city, and we’re going to fight them with everything that we have.
Mannarino: In the last couple days or weeks, have you had a conversation with President Trump about what he’s willing to send to New York or withhold from New York? As you go into the budget talks and negotiations now, knowing what you’re going to get from the federal government is huge. So, have you spoken to the president?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I keep those conversations between the president and myself private. What I will tell you, however—
Mannarino: When’s the last time you spoke to him?
Mayor Mamdani: Look, those are conversations that will always come back to New York City. And I think that that’s something that New Yorkers are expecting from me. And what they also know is that in a city of eight and a half million people, the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the world, we have one in four living in poverty. We have to find fiscal policy that lifts us all up.
Mannarino: What is your contingency? As you made that announcement, an hour later, Governor Hochul came out, and she said, “Newsflash, we’re not raising taxes in New York.” So, you had these conversations with the governor a number of times. You’re very complimentary to her, but she is adamant that they’re not raising taxes. So, if you don’t get that money, what is the contingency?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the first key thing is to make clear to New Yorkers why we need that money, how we got to this place. And some of [these] are the structural imbalances we’ve seen in our city’s fiscal health over many years. It would be all too easy to try and fix this budget. Only to get here next year. That’s why we’re looking for solutions that will last in the longer term, recurring ones, annualized ones. And so, we’re talking about these increased taxes on the wealthy.
Mannarino: She said no.
Mayor Mamdani: Look, I think politics is also an exercise in making the case and making clear what the stakes are. The tools that the city has, these are the most painful tools. We are talking about cuts. We are talking about property taxes, the things that I do not want to pursue. And yet, the scale of this fiscal crisis of $12 billion, this is not an ordinary crisis. This is not a mayor coming forward and saying, “It’s going to be a tough budget. “This is the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Great Recession. That requires an all of the above approach. That’s what we’re going to make clear.
Mannarino: So realistic[ally] [speaking], and you mentioned yesterday a number of times that you want to be really honest with New Yorkers and letting them know how we got to this point and what you’re planning to do about it. But there’s also a lot that you campaigned on, freezing the rent, fast and free buses. Could some of that take longer to implement, realistically talking, because of what we’re seeing?
Mayor Mamdani: I think this is a fiscal crisis that has to be [at the] front of mind for all of us. Now, I’m proud of the fact that we’ve already been able to advance our affordability agenda in the one month I’ve been in office. Day eight, we secured more than a billion dollars for universal child care. Freezing the rent is not something that requires a fiscal infusion. It’s a decision from the Rent Guidelines Board.
Making buses fast and free, the fast thing we’re already getting started on. And what I’ve said is that by the time I’m finished being mayor, they’re going to be free. What we have to deliver, however, in this very year, required by law, but also required just by being a good mayor, a balanced budget for this fiscal year [and for] the next fiscal year.
Mannarino: I’m up against the clock here, but yesterday you mentioned an AI chatbot that cost $500,000. It’s one of the things you thought was a waste of money. Can you name something else?
Mayor Mamdani: That’s exactly what this directive is about. What we want is to actually come to a number after looking at the budget. Because what we’re seeing, we’re talking about a budget of more than $115 billion. If I’m going to accuse the prior mayor of gross fiscal mismanagement in the budgeting process, we know that that likely extends to the expense side as well. And so we’re going to look through every agency to find every example, because when we are going to ask New Yorkers to commit themselves to a new era of politics we have to commit ourselves too. That’s what this is about.
Mannarino: If the governor comes up and says, “You know what, Mr. Mayor, I don’t want to raise the taxes, but I do want to find money. We made all this money from Wall Street, which she said, and we found some money for you to give to you.” Would that satisfy you?
Mayor Mamdani: I think that given the scale of this crisis, that’s not going to be a way to cover the entirety of it. Look, I’ll be direct with you. We’re encouraged by the results from Wall Street, by the news of bonuses. That would be something, if the deficit was smaller, I could say maybe this could cover it. But [for] $12 billion, there’s no news of bonuses or better forecasts that are going to get there. It’s going to require everything.
Mannarino: Mr. Mayor, I appreciate you coming here, talking straight with New Yorkers, signing the executive order. I think it’s the first that we’ve had here at PIX11 where legislation is signed right here on our air. Good to see you.
Mayor Mamdani: Good to see you as well.
Mannarino: Want to go do the weather?
Mayor Mamdani: Stay warm, stay inside, stay safe.
Mannarino: There you go. Mr. Mayor, thank you very much.
On January 28, 2026, New York City Mayor Mamdani delivers a blunt warning: NYC is facing a serious fiscal crisis, with a budget deficit of at least $12 billion. He calls it the “Adams budget crisis,” alleging the prior administration systematically underbudgeted essential services—including rental assistance, shelters, and special education—creating what he describes as massive hidden gaps.
Mamdani also argues NYC’s finances were strained over years by a state–city imbalance, claiming New Yorkers contribute a larger share of state revenue than the city receives back. He cites independent projections (including city and state controllers) and says the true budget gaps are far higher than previously presented, framing the moment as more severe than the Great Recession-era gaps and over 300% above the pre-pandemic 10-year average in some years.
He promises a balanced budget within two fiscal years, rejects balancing it “on the backs of working people,” and signals bold solutions: resetting the fiscal relationship with Albany and taxing the richest New Yorkers and most profitable corporations—while pledging honesty, transparency, and clear communication about decisions ahead.
In a new segment, conservative commentator Benny Johnson argues that America’s biggest sports leagues are paying a price for turning marquee moments into political flashpoints. He points to recent viewership softness in the NFL and NBA and claims fans are increasingly rejecting what he frames as “message-first” programming—especially around the Super Bowl halftime show.
The video centers on Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl LX halftime performance (February 8, 2026, Levi’s Stadium) and a wave of online backlash tied to rumors about a provocative wardrobe choice and an LGBTQ-themed tribute—claims Johnson attributes to entertainment reporting and “inside sources,” while urging viewers to see the controversy as part of a broader cultural campaign. Separately, he highlights conservative responses and boycott talk, including discussion of federal security and immigration enforcement at the event.
Why it matters: The episode captures a widening debate about whether leagues should keep major broadcasts strictly entertainment-focused—or continue leaning into cultural and political messaging, even at the risk of alienating parts of the audience. Bad Bunny’s selection as headliner is confirmed by the NFL, but specific outfit details and the most sensational allegations remain unverified in official statements.
