Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to raise property taxes by nearly 10% could end up alienating support from his own base, according to a new poll exclusively shared with The Post.
Ten in-depth interviews conducted with Mamdani voters by firm J.L. Partners found that higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations are the number one conditional policy that Mamdani needs to deliver on or else they will retract their support.
“I do think property tax is a real risk for Mamdani: both with his own base and other coalitions. Mamdani voters were clear eyed during the campaign that property taxes do pass through onto renters,” J.L. partners co-founder James Johnson said.
The results found that Mamdani’s “tax the rich” pledge was a higher priority than his freebie-filled agenda, noting that if he didn’t fulfill the promise some supporters would feel that he was receiving “pressure from special interests.”
While other policies such as free busses are wanted by voters, respondents said delivering on these pledges were not “make-or-break” for their continued support.
Poll respondents said that while there could be room for Mamdani to compromise with a lower tax hike on the wealthy, barriers to delivering at all on the policy would not be “good enough excuses” for the Democratic socialist mayor.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has repeatedly shot down Mamdani’s calls to raise state income taxes on the wealthy.
City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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