Zohran Mamdani plans to raise taxes on white neighbourhoods in NYC

Zohran Mamdani plans to raise taxes on white neighbourhoods in NYC

Zohran Mamdani has pledged to raise taxes on 鈥渨hiter neighbourhoods鈥 if he becomes New York mayor.

The self-described socialist earlier this week beat Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, in the Democratic primary, earning him the party鈥檚 nomination for November鈥檚 mayoral election.

Following his win on Tuesday, fresh details of Mr Mamdani鈥檚 radical agenda have emerged, including a plan to 鈥渟hift the tax burden鈥 to 鈥渞icher, whiter neighbourhoods鈥.

A housing policy document on the 33-year-old鈥檚 official website features a memo entitled 鈥淪upporting homeowners and ending deed theft鈥.

The document states that if Mr Mamdani is elected, his administration will 鈥渟hift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighbourhoods鈥.

It adds: 鈥淭he property tax system is unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in expensive neighbourhoods pay less than their fair share.

The document claims that New York City currently taxes 鈥渇amily homes in black and Latino neighbourhoods like Jamaica, Brownsville and Tremont more than it does in wealthier neighbourhoods of the city鈥.

Mr Mamdani is referring to an 1981 property tax law which means owners of more expensive properties are effectively taxed on how much income their home would generate if they were to rent it out, rather than the property鈥檚 actual market value.

It means that someone living in a wealthy area or a housing co-op 鈥 where homeowners buy shares in a building, rather than an individual apartment, could pay thousands less in property tax than someone who lives in a property in a less desirable neighbourhood.

Bloomberg cites the example of a $2.15 million property in Williamsburg鈥檚 $157 a year tax bill versus a $234,840 Bronx home鈥檚 annual $3,917 property tax.

A self-described 鈥渁nti-Zionist鈥, Mr Mamdani is staunchly pro-Palestinian and was earlier this month accused of inciting anti-Semitism after he refused to condemn the phrase 鈥済lobalise the intifada鈥.

His comments provoked denunciations from within his own party, with Laura Gillen, a Democratic representative, accusing him of demonstrating a 鈥渄eeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable anti-Semitic comments鈥.

Mr Mamdani鈥檚 policies to introduce city-owned grocery stores, universal free childcare as well as tax rises on all residents earning more than $1 million a year have sent the business community reeling.

Kathryn Wylde, president of Partnership for New York, which represents businesses in the city, said industry leaders were 鈥渢errified鈥 by the Democratic candidate鈥檚 rise.

Mr Mamdani has also previously described capitalism as 鈥渢heft鈥 and endorsed plans to 鈥渄efund the police鈥 in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.

Following Mr Mamdani鈥檚 win, the New York mayoral race has turned bitter, with Republicans sharing offensive posts targeting his Muslim faith and calling for him to be deported.

鈥淶ohran 鈥榣ittle Muhammad鈥 Mamdani is an anti-Semitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great city of New York,鈥 Tennessee representative Andy Ogles wrote on X.

鈥淗e needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalisation proceedings.鈥

Representatives for Mr Mamdani were approached for comment.

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