Photo by Síle Moloney
Twenty-two members, a minority, of the New York City Council’s 51 member-body released a joint statement on Wednesday, Feb. 25, calling on the State legislature and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass the Fair Share Act, legislation they say would grant New York City the authority to enact a 2% income tax increase on millionaires.
It comes as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently announced that in his estimation there were two ways to close the City’s remaining two-year budget gap of $5.4 billion and balance the budget, as required by law. As reported, the mayor was elected largely on his campaign promises of building a more affordable city for working and middle class New Yorkers, something City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she was on board with.
In her inaugural address, she said in part, “New York has a long history of turning moments of challenge into moments of opportunity. Together, we will forge a new city council that takes a more forceful and proactive approach to New York’s shared goals. That includes enacting universal child care, lowering skyrocketing health care costs, building more affordable housing, and slashing fines and bureaucratic red tape for small businesses.”
Amid what was described as a “profound fiscal crisis,” the council members said the city stands at a crossroads and the power to bring New Yorkers relief rests with the governor and the State legislature. “It is time to tax the rich,” they said.
The 22 council members explained that currently New York City does not have the authority to change its own income tax rates without the State’s approval. They said that power remains in Albany, and therefore, as members of the Council, they are urging the State to pass the Fair Share Act.
They said the Act would effectively grant New York City the authority to enact a 2% tax increase on those earning over $1 million a year, and “give the City the power to require more from those who can afford it in service of the common good.” They added, “We are asking the State to entrust our City with the authority to govern in the interest of working people.”
The 22 council members went on to say that they “will not govern by myth,” adding that “millionaires will not flee because they are asked to contribute more.” They continued, “It is the working class fleeing the city at an alarming rate.”
They went on to say that neighbors cannot be forced into decisions between paying the bills and putting food on the table, while the wealthiest are protected from paying what they owe. “A small increase for the wealthiest is reasonable,” they said. “It is responsible.”
They concluded, “We urge the elected leadership at the State level to give New York City the tools to secure its own fiscal future and choose long-term stability over austerity.”
The 22 members proposing the change are the following:
Council Member Chi Ossé (C.D. 36), Brooklyn
Council Member Shirley Aldebol (C.D. 13), Bronx
Council Member Alexa Avilés (C.D. 38), Brooklyn
Council Member Tiffany Cabán, (C.D. 22), Queens
Council Member Elsie Encarnacion (C.D. 8), Bronx/Manhattan
Council Member Harvey Epstein (C.D. 2), Manhattan
Council Member Amanda Farías (C.D. 18), Bronx
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez (C.D. 34), Brooklyn/Queens
Council Member Ty Hankerson (C.D. 28), Queens
Council Member Shahana Hanif (C.D. 39), Brooklyn
Council Member Crystal Hudson (C.D. 35), Brooklyn
Council Member Rita Joseph (C.D. 40), Brooklyn
Council Member Shekar Krishnan (C.D. 25), Queens
Council Member Chris Marte (C.D. 1), Manhattan
Council Member Sandy Nurse (C.D. 37), Brooklyn
Council Member Carmen De La Rosa (C.D. 10), Manhattan
Council Member Lincoln Restler (C.D. 33), Brooklyn
Council Member Justin Sanchez (C.D. 17), Bronx
Council Member Kayla Santosuosso (C.D. 47), Brooklyn
Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), Bronx
Council Member Althea Stevens (C.D. 16), Bronx
Council Member Julie Won (C.D. 26), Queens
Norwood News has reached out to the governor’s office, the state assembly, and the State senate for comment on the proposed legislation and will share any feedback we receive.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.