Mamdani Faces First Test as City Council Pushes Major Salary Hike

Pay-raise proposal lands on the new mayor’s desk as critics warn of tone-deaf priorities.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has not yet taken the oath of office, but one of his first tests in power is already on the calendar: whether to accept a sizable raise for himself and the City Council, or veto it and risk a fight with the political class that just helped elect him.

Councilwoman Nantasha Williams has introduced Int. 1493-2025, a bill that would raise the mayor’s annual salary from $258,750 to $300,500 and boost council member pay from $148,500 to $172,500, along with increases for the public advocate, comptroller, borough presidents, and the city’s five district attorneys. 

According to the Council’s committee agenda, Williams’ bill on “compensation of the mayor, public advocate, members of the city council, borough presidents, comptroller and district attorneys” is slated for the Committee on Governmental Operations, setting up a possible floor vote early in Mamdani’s term. 

Backers argue the move is rooted in law, not greed. Under New York City Administrative Code § 3-601, the Quadrennial Advisory Commission is tasked with studying and recommending changes to pay for the mayor, council members, and other elected officials.

Good-government advocates have long warned that any raises must be paired with reforms and transparency. Common Cause New York’s supplemental comments to the commission, filed in a December 24, 2015, letter, cautioned against using the process as a vehicle for “self-interested” changes.

Now, familiar watchdogs and skeptics—including Citizens Budget Commission president Andrew Rein and Common Cause NY executive director Susan Lerner—are scrutinizing Williams’ bill as it moves through committee, questioning whether a double-digit raise for city politicians should be a priority in a city still wrestling with housing costs, taxes, and budget pressures. 

For Mamdani—a democratic socialist who campaigned on housing affordability, fare-free buses, and economic relief—the raise presents a symbolic test. His response, whether to sign or veto the bill, will signal how he balances ideological promises with the machinery of City Hall.