Mamdani boss offers only $200M in savings — well short of $1.7B target amid massive budget deficit

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration released about $200 million in proposed savings on Wednesday — well short of the $1.7 billion promised — as her budget chief gets serious about the massive deficit.

Although she does not supply goods, Mamdani released one of her videos on social media showing how much waste she wastes by pretending to get excess government money on sofa cushions and bookshelves.

While facing questions in the real world, Hizzoner still disputes that officials hit the $1.7 billion in cuts he promised to help close the huge budget gap, but he didn’t provide any evidence.

He also said New Yorkers may have to wait until the end of April — when the mayor’s executive budget is due — to see all of the proposed savings.

The demand for savings comes as Mamdani’s figures project the city will have to cover an upcoming budget deficit of $5.4 billion.

Mamdani, who proposed the proposed $127 billion budget allocation, has identified the deficit as a problem that requires Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators to tax the wealthy. In February, Mamdani even offered the governor a surprising ultimatum: raise taxes on the wealthy or New York City homeowners would face a 9.5% property tax hike.

But the socialist mayor has also taken steps – or, according to critics, paid lip service – to tightening spending.

He signed an executive order directing each city agency to designate a “Chief Savings Officer” to budget for a combined $1.7 billion to help close the hole.

Those specially appointed officials were supposed to provide a “public report” on their findings by March 20, but the deadline passed without a peep.

Instead, Mamdani administration officials on Wednesday released a list of smaller cuts totaling about $200 million, which the mayor summarized on social media.

Among the minor cuts were:

• TLC cancels its $20,000 Slack messaging subscription next fiscal year
• The DOE will save $30.3 million by 2027 through limited spending and canceling “underutilized” contracts, but did not provide specifics.
• DOE will also save $27.5 million by creating “controls” to limit spending on “materials, equipment, professional development and travel”
• NYC Emergency Management to replace software to save $133,000
• Health and hospitals will cut overtime and collect savings to save $14.1 million this year and $25.7 million next year.
• The Economic Development Corporation will save $626,000 by bringing marketing in-house
• Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to save $1.15 million next year by renegotiating naloxone contract
• DOC will save $4.3 million by bringing some contracts in-house

City Hall officials declined to release reports or any other information about the cuts, telling the newspaper to hope they had reached their goals.

Hizzoner’s budget director Sherif Soliman took a similar approach during a delayed budget hearing with skeptical City Council members, refusing to provide more details.

Assembly Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) and Finance Chair Linda Lee (D-Queens) pressed Soliman for a comprehensive list of savings, but he was met with incomplete promises.

The budget official teased that he would “prefer” to share more information about the cuts.

“We’re checking. As soon as we have more updates ready to share we may choose to share them,” he said in response to Lee’s question.

Soliman, as mayor, said the cuts will be reflected in the Mayor’s budget that will be sent to the City Council on April 26.

“They have budgeted $1.7 billion for savings, and we are looking at all the different recommendations from agencies and departments to approve the value of those recommendations,” Mamdani told reporters during a press conference.

“We have shared some of those mandates, but… by the time we release this budget, everything will be public.”

Councilman Phil Wong (D-Queens) said Mamdani needs to get more than $1.7 billion — and noted city officials have provided information on about 15% of that.

“Some of the things highlighted, including small cuts like a $20,000 software subscription, raise real questions about the scale of this effort,” he said in a statement. “Even if the full $1.7 billion can be found, it still falls far short of the billion dollar gaps projected in the coming years.

“New Yorkers deserve transparency. They deserve to know what’s really saving, what’s sustainable, and what just counts as saving.”

Budget watchdogs have given Mamdani credit for working to achieve savings, but say he must move forward.

“This list is a good start, but it’s a start,” said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission. “Management will have to go much further than the $1.7 billion target – and there are many opportunities.

“This administration must have a passion for the efficiency of government as it is about accessibility. That means a real change in the way we manage government, and not spend money that does not help the people of New York. Good government is something that can be bought.”