Here’s a rundown of what’s been happening with Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist mayor of New York City, over the past several weeks:
Budget fight and passage
Mamdani’s first budget came down to the wire. His administration and the City Council were deadlocked over expanding a rental assistance program (CityFHEPS) right up against the July 1 legal deadline for passing the budget. They ultimately struck a deal: Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin shook hands on a $125.8 billion budget for the new fiscal year, closing out contentious final-hour negotiations just before the deadline, and it passed the Council 45-6, with Republican members opposing it partly over police staffing levels. City & State NY
Fiscal watchdogs have been critical of how the gap was closed. Comptroller Mark Levine and others noted the deal relies on roughly $5 billion in one-time “one-shot” revenue measures to prop up ongoing programs, and warned the underlying structural budget gap remains unresolved for next year. Mamdani has faced pushback for framing the closing of the deficit as a win for his tax-the-rich approach — critics pointed out the city also received a multibillion-dollar bailout from New York State, funded by taxpayers, which he didn’t emphasize when touting the balanced budget.
Looking ahead to next year
Mamdani has now directed every city agency to find 2.5% in savings ahead of a projected roughly $6 billion budget gap next fiscal year, with the administration surveying city workers for inefficiencies. About $1.77 billion in savings has already been identified this year by “chief savings officers” placed in each agency.
Declined pay raise
Mamdani said he’ll forgo a pay increase the City Council approved for elected officials, an 18% raise that will lift council members’ salaries from $148,500 to $175,500 a year. Bloomberg
Administration hires
He’s been rounding out his City Hall team. On July 22, Mamdani named Anthony Shorris — a former deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio who later worked at McKinsey — to lead the city’s Economic Development Corporation, and gave close aide Jessica Katz (referred to as Khan in one account) a more permanent role as EDC board chair.
Political reception
Reaction has split sharply along predictable lines. Conservative outlets like Fox News and the Washington Post editorial board have criticized his budget as bloated tax-and-spend governance, with one Democratic strategist calling him “the perfect foil for every Republican around the country” heading into the midterms. On the other side, he’s continued to draw attention as a national progressive figure — discussing his first 100 days in office in an April interview covering childcare, housing costs, taxing the wealthy, and his relationship with the Trump administration.
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what is his state run store?
Searched the web
Searched the web
This is Mamdani’s city-owned grocery store pilot — one of his signature campaign promises, and it’s now moving from plan to reality.
The basic idea
New York City will open five government-owned food stores by 2029, offering a 30% discount on bread, cheese, and a core basket of everyday groceries. One store is planned for each of the five boroughs, with the first sites selected based on grocery store density, income levels relative to cost of living, and population density — targeting neighborhoods where affordable food access has lagged despite redevelopment. The first planned location is at La Marqueta, a public market in East Harlem, Manhattan, with sites in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island still being scouted. Washington TimesTime
How it’s supposed to work
The stores won’t pay rent or property taxes, which is meant to lower overhead and let savings get passed to shoppers. They’re also meant to buy and sell at wholesale prices, centralize warehousing and distribution, and partner with local neighborhoods on sourcing. Mamdani has said the stores won’t have butchers or sell hot food, beer, or cigarettes, in part to reassure existing bodegas that they won’t be fully undercut. The discount would apply to all customers regardless of income and wouldn’t fluctuate week to week the way private grocery pricing does. aol + 2
Where it stands right now
City officials say they’re close to putting out bids for private companies to actually run the stores, with the winning operator to be selected by spring 2027. The Economic Development Corporation has put out a request for proposals seeking a “best-in-class” private operator to handle day-to-day operations, with the city covering costs tied to the physical space at the first five stores. Estimated build-out cost is around $70 million. Spectrum News NY1The Real Deal
There’s also a push to make it permanent: City Council member Jennifer Gutiérrez has introduced a bill to codify the grocery program into city law, guaranteeing a minimum of five stores regardless of who’s mayor in the future. The City Reporter
Criticism
It’s been a lightning rod. Economists warn the tax and rent exemptions create real market distortion, with bodegas — which run on thin margins — at risk, and taxpayers potentially absorbing construction costs and ongoing losses. A Heritage Foundation economist argued that pricing 30% below retail means the city would lose at least 28 cents on every dollar of sales. Critics also point to prior municipal grocery experiments elsewhere (small pilots in Florida and Kansas) that eventually closed, though supporters note other cities like Atlanta have had success with similar public-private models. ForbesDaily Signal
Want me to track how the bidding process or site selection develops as it moves forward?
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