Property tax hike or tax on the wealthy? Breaking down Mamdani's budget proposal episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 20, 2026 · 31 MIN

Property tax hike or tax on the wealthy? Breaking down Mamdani's budget proposal

from Off Topic/On Politics · host Spectrum News

Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled his first preliminary budget this week, creating some controversy as he revealed that it includes a proposal to raise property taxes on millions of city homeowners if Gov. Kathy Hochul doesn't agree to a tax hike on the rich. Was it simply a political bluff, or was the mayor serious? NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Ayana Harry and Dan Rivoli break down his plan. Meanwhile, Mamdani took one step toward fulfilling his promise to freeze rents for stabilized tenants, while appearing to reverse course on a vow to end homeless encampment sweeps. On Wednesday, the mayor appointed six members to the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board, which is tasked with setting rents for the city's approximately 1 million stabilized units. He also said his administration would bring back encampment sweeps, under a modified policy overseen by the Department of Homeless Services rather than the NYPD. The "Off Topic" team weighs in on the mayor's latest moves.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 20, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Property tax hike or tax on the wealthy? Breaking down Mamdani's budget proposal

0:00 31:33

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Off Topic/On Politics?

This episode is 31 minutes long.

When was this Off Topic/On Politics episode published?

This episode was published on February 20, 2026.

Can I download this Off Topic/On Politics episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!