Mamdani Brags He Eliminated NYC’s $12 Billion Budget Deficit, But Then a New York Outlet Dug Into the Numbers
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X that the city had reduced a $12 billion budget deficit to zero,saying he did so without relying on working people and instead by funding areas such as parks,libraries,safer streets,and public housing. The post included a polished video and framed the effort as “government that delivers.”
Shortly afterward, the New York Post criticized Mamdani’s claims, arguing the “fix” depends on “hidden” fee increases and questionable assumptions rather than real savings. The article points to proposed changes that would increase costs or enforcement-such as higher ambulance/EMS charges (including if residents refuse hospital transport), more bus lane tickets, tougher enforcement for certain waste and markets, higher tree replacement fees, and more audits related to the STAR tax relief program. A Democrat interviewed by the outlet also mocked the plan as relying on gimmicks, and the piece suggests additional fallout could include cutting certain veterans’ services events and sanitation programs.
On Tuesday morning, New York City’s ultra-progressive mayor, Zohran Mamdani, took to X to take quite a boastful victory lap.
“When we came into office, we uncovered a $12 billion budget deficit,” Mamdani posted to X. “Today, I’m proud to say we brought it down to zero.”
“We didn’t close the gap on the backs of working people,” he continued. “We closed it while funding parks, libraries, safer streets and making historic investments in public housing. Call it Pothole Politics. Call it Democratic Socialism. It’s government that delivers for the people who make this city run.”
“That’s what New Yorkers deserve. And that’s what we will keep fighting for every single day.”
His post came accompanied with a slickly produced video, which you can view for yourself below:
When we came into office, we uncovered a $12 billion budget deficit.
Today, I’m proud to say we brought it down to zero.
We didn’t close the gap on the backs of working people.
We closed it while funding parks, libraries, safer streets and making historic investments in public… pic.twitter.com/TbNu6fhvjs
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) May 12, 2026
In a vacuum, this certainly sounded like it should’ve been a good Tuesday for NYC residents. But shortly after Mamdani’s post went up, the New York Post came out with a blistering rebuttal of Mamdani’s claims — and a much closer look at the numbers that Mamdani largely avoided delving into.
Blasted for including “a menu of hidden fee hikes” in his budget plan, the outlet pointed out that this deficit “fix” from Mamdani was anything but.
And notably, some of the harshest criticisms lobbied against Mamdani came from a fellow Democrat.
“Banking on yet to be determined revenue-raising gimmicks and identifying fake savings are not wins,” an unnamed Democratic operative told the New York outlet.
The operative savagely added, “This budget plan is as real as Kim Kardashian’s lips.”
So why is this budget plan so inauthentic?
Critics argue that the holes in Mamdani’s budget vision become glaringly obvious once you look beyond the lofty rhetoric and into the actual revenue proposals being floated by City Hall.
According to city budget documents cited by the New York Post, officials are eyeing a laundry list of new fees, fines, and enforcement crackdowns to help plug fiscal gaps.
These include dramatically increasing ambulance transportation costs, charging New Yorkers for EMS responses even if they refuse hospital transport, issuing more bus lane tickets, ramping up enforcement against the trade waste industry and wholesale markets, raising tree replacement fees, and aggressively auditing property owners tied to the popular STAR tax relief program.
Perhaps adding taxpayer insult to injury, a pessimistic political insider told the New York Post: “There’s not enough savings at all.”
That’d be a sobering analysis even without the extra hikes and fees.
“The only good thing is he gave on property tax and the rainy day fund,” the insider said. “Otherwise, the budget is not where it needs to be at all.”
Other expected fallout from Mamdani’s budget plan includes slashing Department of Veterans’ Services events and cutting sanitation programs.
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