Critics online are accusing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of walking back key campaign promises after he proposed a property tax increase to help close looming budget gaps.
Among the many political commentators criticizing the mayor on TikTok, @braedensorbo argued that Mamdani had campaigned on pledges like freezing rent, offering free buses, and expanding childcare, only to later signal that the city may need to raise property taxes by 10% and rely on reserve funds to stay financially stable. The creator claimed this amounted to voters being “played like a fiddle” and that the mayor had essentially “lied during his campaign and everybody believed him.”
Mamdani addressed the city’s fiscal challenges during a press conference on February 17, where he warned that balancing the budget could require difficult measures. He said the current path would involve increasing property taxes that would effectively impact working and middle-class homeowners, while also “withdrawing $980 million from our city’s rainy day fund in fiscal year 2026 and $229 million from the Retiree Health Benefit Trust in fiscal year 2027.”
He said the goal is to keep the city on firm financial footing rather than risk deeper cuts to essential services.
How Netizens Are Reacting
Many netizens echoed the TikTok commentator’s claim that voters had been misled, saying they expected sweeping relief measures but were now facing potential tax increases. A few were also unsympathetic. “I don’t feel bad for NY at all. They voted for this,” one person wrote. Someone else joked, “Beware of politicians bearing promises! 😂😂” A third commented, “I’m actually glad this is happening because there are still people that believe politicians don’t lie.”
However, some people challenged the dominant narrative, pointing out that the proposed tax increases were reportedly aimed at higher-value properties. “He’s raising property taxes on properties worth over 3 million,” one commenter said, suggesting the impact might not be uniform across all New York residents.
