New York City lawmakers have signed off on an 18.2 percent salary increase for elected officials, but sit tight because Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he will not be taking the extra money.
The City Council voted 42-6 on Thursday to approve the raises, which are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026. Council members will now earn $175,500, up from $148,500. The City Council speaker’s salary climbs to $194,400, while the mayor’s pay increases to $305,800. The raises follow recommendations from an independent commission that pointed to roughly 31 percent inflation since the last pay adjustment in 2016.
Mamdani, who campaigned on tackling New York’s affordability crisis, said residents he met while canvassing never raised concerns about how much the mayor earns. Instead, he argued those public dollars could be better used to help families facing financial pressure. City Council Speaker Julie Menin also chose not to accept the higher salary and abstained from the vote.
The decision has drawn criticism from opponents who say the increase lands at a difficult moment for many New Yorkers, with the city’s median household income sitting around $81,000 and the annual cost to taxpayers estimated at an additional $2.6 million.
Since taking office, Mamdani has emphasized initiatives centered on affordability and civic engagement. He was sworn in just after midnight inside the historic City Hall subway station, reflecting his commitment to free transit. His administration has also launched an Office of Mass Engagement, introduced the city’s first Rental Ripoff Report, secured a rent freeze for stabilized apartments, recovered millions for workers, tenants, and small businesses, helped lock in $1.2 billion toward universal childcare, expanded pothole repairs through the Municipal Madness campaign, and begun building a mental health emergency response system that sends trained health care professionals to qualifying 911 calls.