MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Hochul sends $1.5B to NYC as mayor drafts plan to close massive budget gap

Monday, Feb. 16, marks the 47th day of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did.

On the eve of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first preliminary budget presentation, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $1.5 billion state funding commitment aimed at easing New York City’s mounting fiscal pressures and narrowing the projected $7 billion budget gap over the next two fiscal years.

Under the agreement, New York State will provide $1 billion in City Fiscal Year 2026 and $510 million in City Fiscal Year 2027, including $510 million in recurring funding.

The aid is intended to cover costs that shifted from the state to the city under prior administrations, according to a joint announcement by Hochul and Mamdani.

Roughly $300 million of the recurring funds will support youth programming, $150 million will restore sales-tax revenues that would otherwise have been retained by the state, and $60 million is earmarked for public health spending. An additional $500 million will be allocated toward shared state–city priorities to be determined in later negotiations.

“A strong New York City means a stronger New York State,” Hochul said in a statement, calling the funding a way to protect services and stabilize the city’s finances.

She framed the deal as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen cooperation between the state and city — messaging that comes after Mamdani spent a large portion of his testimony in Albany last week, accusing the state of “draining the city’s resources” amid what he described as a fiscally unbalanced relationship.

Speaking at Tin Cup Day, Mamdani argued that a structural imbalance in the fiscal relationship between the city and the state was among the root causes of NYC’s financial strain. He warned that Albany has increasingly shifted responsibilities onto the city without providing the recurring revenue needed to pay for them, forcing City Hall to rely on one-time aid and short-term fixes.

For her part, Hochul last week pushed back on calls for a broader overhaul of the state-city fiscal relationship, arguing that Albany has already stepped up its support for NYC each year since she took office. While she has framed that record as evidence that the state is meeting its obligations, she has remained firm in rejecting Mamdani’s calls to raise taxes on the wealthy and large corporations as part of the solution to plug the fiscal gaps.

Mamdani, who is set to outline his administration’s fiscal approach on Feb. 17, said he was “heartened by this budgetary progress and Governor Hochul’s partnership at this critical moment.”

“This is what it looks like to begin a new, productive, and fair relationship between City Hall and Albany – focused on delivering for working New Yorkers,” Mamdani said of the announcement.

Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, said the additional funding from Hochul is a meaningful boost for City Hall, but not a cure-all.

“The increased State funding for NYC announced today is good news for the City,” said Rein. “The $1.5 billion will put a real dent in the City’s budget gap, which the Mayor said is $7 billion. Governor Hochul is rightly reversing some historical cost-shifts from the State to the City. Mayor Mamdani still has a heavy lift ahead of him to balance the budget. And while this is a fair thing for the State to do, the recurring support will widen future State budget gaps.”

Appointments: Christina Farrell named NYC Emergency Management Commissioner

Mayor Mamdani announced Monday that Christina Farrell will take the helm of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), succeeding Zach Iscol as head of the agency responsible for coordinating the city’s emergency planning, response, and recovery.

Farrell has been with NYCEM for more than two decades, most recently serving as first deputy commissioner.

She joined NYCEM in 2003 as its first director of grants and helped create the agency’s external affairs division, overseeing programs like Community Emergency Response Teams and Ready New York. During her tenure at the agency, she helped to navigate some of the city’s most high-profile crises, from the 2003 blackout to Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m honored to be appointed Commissioner of NYCEM,” Farrell said. “This agency protects 8.5 million New Yorkers when they need us most, and I look forward to continuing to serve alongside the dedicated professionals who do this work every day.”

Mayor Mamdani praised Farrell’s experience and steady leadership in a statement announcing her appointment: “New York City faces extraordinary challenges, and meeting them demands experienced leadership. Christina Farrell is more than prepared to guide NYCEM and help keep every New Yorker safe.”

Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson called Farrell’s three decades of public service “the perfect mix of knowledge and vision to steer the city through any emergency.” City agencies across the board echoed that sentiment, with NYPD, FDNY, and DEP leaders highlighting Farrell’s deep expertise and collaborative approach.

Farrell started her public service career in 1994 in the Mayor’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator and later worked on the creation of the Twin Towers Fund after 9/11.

Former NYCEM Commissioner Iscol, who was appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, submitted his resignation to Mayor Mamdani last month. His final day at the agency was February 11.