Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to be together to mark a new era of public-private partnership. Before I announce our administration's vision for the Mayor's Fund to advance New York City, I would like to first thank my chief of staff, Elle Bisgaard-Church, and the new board members for joining us here today. I would also like to thank Kate Smith, the executive director of the Mayor's Fund, for her long-time commitment to its success. We are grateful that she is staying on through this next chapter to continue its good work. And lastly, thank you to the funding partners who are in the room with us, as well as those who couldn't make it today, for all you do to support this city that we love.
Our administration holds an unwavering conviction that government can provide both public goods and public excellence, from filling more than 102,000 potholes across our city to delivering on universal child care to affordable groceries. And we also know that philanthropy has long played an essential role in New York City as an incubator for change and as a powerful tool to expand access to city programs.
I like to think of it this way. Government is driving the race car, and philanthropy is there to give it that turbo boost to cross the finish line. Or if you are a Mario Kart fan, government is Yoshi, and philanthropy is the golden mushroom, [the] edge we need to beat Bowser on the Rainbow Road. To belabor this metaphor even further, Bowser is corporate greed in this scenario. In all seriousness, when I think of the Mayor's Fund, I think of New Yorkers from every industry, every borough, coming together. I think of the vision that has defined some of our city's most ambitious initiatives.
Initiatives like the Summer Youth Employment Program, also known as SYEP, the largest and longest-running summer jobs program in the country. This is a prime example of a partnership that serves all New Yorkers, from the young people who earn money at jobs that interest them, to the employers who have an extra helping hand, to the community members who benefit from those businesses. And it's made possible with philanthropic dollars through the Mayor's Fund, the 501(c)(3) that has formalized the partnership between City government and philanthropy since 1994.
As we bring a new era of ambitious governing to City Hall, we will bring that same commitment to excellence to the Mayor's Fund. As we do so, our first order of business will be assembling a board with a deep understanding of the needs of working New Yorkers, one that has taught in our schools, hauled shipments on our docks and paid dues to our unions.
Today, I am proud to announce the person chairing that board will be my chief of staff, Elle Bisgaard-Church. Elle brings a mix of passion, competence and a deep love for New York City to everything that she does. She will deliver a fresh sense of purpose and direction to the Mayor's Fund as it advances our administration's larger vision for what is possible here in New York City. There is no one who works harder for working people. As my former roommate, State Senator Jabari Brisport, once put it, "I don't know when she sleeps."
In many ways, this will mark a continuation of Elle's work as chief of staff. As we work with partners on the Mayor's Fund, we will target funding that advances many of the goals we have pursued from City Hall. Addressing food insecurity, keeping our communities safe and setting ourselves on a path to universal child care for New York's cutest aged six weeks and up. Our newly created Child Care Action Fund will be a cornerstone of our work in building out our universal child care infrastructure. And it is the answer to a question I know many have been asking.
Since I began my run for mayor, I have heard from New Yorkers all over the city, excited by the idea of universal child care, who want to get involved in the effort to make it a reality. And I've heard from philanthropists, foundations and business leaders who rightly recognize the benefits that universal child care will compound. That they will be measured in children with better educational outcomes, in parents that can return to the workforce and in a local economy supercharged by top talent able to not only move to New York City because they can finally imagine it, but also because they could finally afford to build a family and a life here.
To those people who want to help, I say the Child Care Action Fund is your way to get involved. This fund will help us build the infrastructure necessary to make universal child care accessible to every New Yorker who needs it. To that end, we have set the ambitious goal of raising $20 million in 2026. And today, I'm so proud to be joined here by so many to announce that we are already well on our way. More than $3.5 million have already been committed to this fund.
This partnership already stands on a strong foundation. These funds will go towards five key priorities: the first, family outreach and engagement; the second, direct support for providers; the third, workforce development; the fourth, physical capacity building; and the fifth and final, research and innovation. I want to say thank you once again to the philanthropic organizations who have already committed to this work. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, NYC Forward Fund and Robin Hood for their direct support.
We look forward to adding more names and organizations to that list. And let me be clear, the Child Care Action Fund is just one of several initiatives that will work to boost the ambitious goals of our administration. It will provide the opening for private-public partnerships that have done so much good in this city already. As the old proverb goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." New York City, let's show the rest of the world what it looks like when we can go far together. Thank you very much. And with that, I will pass it over to our new chair, Elle Bisgaard-Church.
Elle Bisgaard-Church, Chief of Staff to the Mayor: Thank you, mayor, for your kind words and for the opportunity to serve as chair of the board. I want to thank all of our partners here today with us who are working to advance City Hall's affordability agenda, including my fellow members of the board. I'm excited to embark on this new era for the Mayor's Fund alongside Julie Chen, [from] Institutional Giving Manager at CAAAV, organizing Asian communities; [and] Christina Cover, an English language arts teacher and literacy coordinator at a public high school in the Bronx. Christina is currently in class, so hello to you and your students watching online.
Shawn Morehead, executive vice president and chief program officer at the New York Community Trust; Rickke Mananzala, president of the New York Foundation; Javier Valdés, U.S. director of Civic Engagement and Government at the Ford Foundation; and Tony Perlstein, an organizer at UAW and former longshore worker. Mayor Mamdani was elected to build an affordable city that serves the needs of all New Yorkers. Our administration has worked relentlessly these first 100 days in office to make good on our democratic mandate.
From creating the first-ever Office of Community Safety, a critical step towards building the Department of Community Safety, to holding bad landlords accountable and launching 2-K, the administration is taking concrete and strategic action to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. But this work can't be done alone, and we welcome the support of diverse individuals and organizations. Philanthropy has a vital role to play in realizing our administration's agenda.
We hope to create generous partnerships that infuse new money into the public sector to address the pressing issues facing New York City, and we're excited to tell you a little bit more about some of that work soon. The primary goal of the Mayor's Fund is to match the city's extraordinary human resources, the energy, creativity, and vision of New Yorkers, with the requisite financial backing in order to develop efficient and effective solutions. The Mayor's Fund will be led by the same values that guide all our administration's work. We believe that a democratic government should not be an opaque, distant and unanswerable force. We want to involve everyday New Yorkers with the management of their city in new ways. So, we are quite literally giving them a seat at a table with our new board members here today.
We also believe the people of New York City deserve transparency and integrity from their government. We will disclose our donors and their donations on an annual basis. This is just the beginning. I look forward to deepening our partnership with the philanthropic community to realize an optimistic and bold vision for a great and flourishing New York. Thank you. Thank you. And with that, I am delighted to introduce Dr. Carmen Rojas, president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.
Carmen Rojas, President and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation: Good morning, everyone. It is such an honor to be here with you, Mayor Mamdani and with your amazing team. My name is Carmen Rojas, and I'm the president and CEO of [the] Marguerite Casey Foundation. At Marguerite Casey Foundation, we believe that every family deserves affordable, safe and stable child care. And we believe it's our government's job to make it accessible to absolutely everybody. We know that dependable child care has long been a privilege for the rich and a burden for working families.
As people watch their grocery bills increase, their rent getting higher and as they spend one-fifth of their wages making sure their children are cared for, [the] Marguerite Casey Foundation knows that we need to provide meaningful answers to these questions. We need real solutions. And as a result, we've decided to invest $3 million to make sure that we can actually demonstrate what it looks like when government works for working people.
Providing universal child care is a real solution to the issues people are facing. This is really the kind of bold leadership that we as a foundation want to support across the country and are so proud that we can start here in New York City. I'm so hopeful that more funders, donors [and] foundations will join us in supporting the Mayor's Fund. This is a really incredible opportunity for philanthropy to stand in line with an administration that's showing everybody what it looks like when public dollars work for the public good. Thank you so much, Mayor Mamdani, for this opportunity and for showing our country what's possible when government works for working people.
Chief of Staff Bisgaard-Church: Thank you. And now we will have Shawn Morehead, executive vice president and chief program officer at the New York Community Trust, join us.
Shawn Morehead, Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer, The New York Community Trust: Thank you, madam chairwoman and Mr. Mayor. Congratulations to you and your team on the launch of the Child Care Action Fund. As Elle said, I am the executive vice president and chief program officer at the New York Community Trust. The New York Community Trust is the community foundation for the eight downstate counties of New York, including, of course, I'm a little biased, the five boroughs of New York City. As part of our work as the community foundation, we really try to support projects that will help transform government so that it is accountable to all New Yorkers and delivers in ways that we can see and feel.
And as a part of that, we have been really proud to host the NYC Forward Fund, in which we had 15 national and local foundations contribute to help promote an effective and efficient mayoral transition. I am proud to recognize several fund members here, including the Governing for America Fund, the Freedom Together Fund, the Scherman Foundation, which is here today, as well as the New York Foundation. And Rickke Mananzala and Elizabeth Guernsey have co-chaired the New York City Forward Fund with me.
We are very proud to make a commitment to the Mayor's Child Care Action Fund. Child care is one of the topics that our collective group of foundations has chosen to focus on, not only because child care is in itself such a vital service for families and benefits our kids tremendously, but also because it is a service that local government can deliver, and it can do it quickly and well and make a huge and material difference in the lives of families living in New York City.
New York City is showing the way, and we believe that it will continue to do so. So, congratulations again to the administration and to my colleagues. We look forward to our continuing partnership and our continuing joint efforts to make New York City the best place it can possibly be for everybody who lives here. Thank you.
Question: I'm just curious-
Mayor Mamdani: A lot of people ask me about jumping in the swimming pool. I'm going to get back to you soon.
Question: What is the status of some of the initiatives that were launched with the Mayor's Fund under Mayor Adams? And additionally, I mean, this is maybe a wonky question, but will you update your 990s at any point just so we can get a sense of how much money has been raised since I know it only runs through the calendar year 2023?
Mayor Mamdani: So, on the first question, I'll tell you that that is going to be one of the first tasks of this new board is to take a look at not just the current commitments, but the prior commitments and to see what the status of all of that is, as well as the allocations that had been made or had not been made, and then get back to you on that. And then on the 990 question, I'm going to be honest, I think we're going to have to get back to you on that question.
Question: When do you anticipate naming a board of advisors to the fund? I know previous mayors have done that, and that's sort of where we see some of the connections to corporate leaders. And then also, why do you need the fund to raise money for childcare if Governor Hochul gave you the funding that you needed for the next two years? Is it because you're trying something experimental with the fund, or what's the impetus here?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the beauty of this opportunity is a chance to supplement the immediate needs that we are delivering on through this $1.2 billion partnership with the governor. When we went through the five focuses of what this Child Care Action Fund will do, it also speaks to the medium and long-term needs of this city, and also the importance of bringing in more New Yorkers to inform those needs. I'll just bring Emmy up to the microphone to share a little bit additional to that.
Executive Director Emmy Liss, Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education: Thanks, mayor. So, as the mayor outlined with our five priorities, we're hoping to build towards the long-term infrastructure we need, make sure we have the child care workforce and that workforce is supported, build the physical space we need for child care and make sure that in this expansion work, we are taking real steps to support our child care providers. The Child Care Action Fund will give us the opportunity to test and pilot and innovate new ideas that we then can take and scale with government funding. It gives us an opportunity to address immediate-term needs that are not necessarily covered in the governor's investment in our child care expansion, so that we can move quickly, move nimbly and supplement the work that we are doing with the governor's investment.
Question: And then [with the] Board of Advisors, any anticipated date when you would name members to that?
Chief of Staff Bisgaard-Church: I'd just say this is the first step with our Board of Directors, who now will take on the question of the Board of Advisors. So, you should hear from us soon.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: I wanted to ask you about the governor's proposal when it comes to this pied-à-terre tax. Are you satisfied? Because it's only going to give you less than 10 percent, I mean a fraction of what you're asking for to close this $5 billion gap. I also wanted to ask you about the video that was released yesterday from the attorney general's office, related to the body cam footage and the death of Adrian Cevallos. Have you seen it, and what does it say about how the NYPD uses tasers in mental health responses?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I will first start with the first question. You know, I think it is worthy of celebration when we work together with the governor to put forward a proposal that will raise a half billion dollars every year by taxing the wealthiest of the wealthy. And just to give a sense of who we're talking about when we speak about a taxation of secondary properties that are owned by non-resident New Yorkers, we're speaking about Saudi billionaire Fawaz Alhokair, who purchased a $95 million penthouse at 432 Park. We're speaking about a Russian auto dealer, Alexander Varshavsky, who purchased a $20.5 million property, all in cash. We're talking about the levels of wealth that are storing themselves here in New York City, all at the time at which our city is facing a generational fiscal crisis.
So, I think that this is something worthy of celebration as part of the work that we are doing together with the governor. And we know that the budget conversations continue. We anticipate that they will continue for the next few weeks. And frankly, it is refreshing to be working with the governor and legislative leaders, all of whom are committed to the long-term well-being of this city. And to the second question, you know, I think that it is critically important that body-worn camera footage be made public. And I think it's important for New Yorkers to be able to see for themselves and make their own judgments. I know the investigation is ongoing. And as it proceeds, we will continue to share updates as appropriate.
Question: Have you seen it, though?
Mayor Mamdani: I haven't seen it.
Question: Another question about the pied-à-terre tax. You know, when it was abandoned a few years ago in Albany, one of the reasons for that was concerns about the sort of practicality of actually implementing it. You know, like, there are anonymous LLC owners. There are these questions about co-ops. There was an LLC transparency law a couple [of] years ago that you supported, but was basically gutted by the governor last year. So, any efforts underway to sort of identify how this could actually be implemented in a practical way, given those previous concerns?
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. The administration of this tax is as important as the introduction of it. And that is why we celebrate it, is not only because of it as an idea, but because of our confidence in its ability to raise at least $500 million for the city on an annual basis. And I will also say this, that there are times in politics where political concerns are dressed up as practical and procedural ones, and they mask a lack of political will. And it is something that is incredibly heartening to be working with the governor to deliver on something that had been stonewalled for so many years, and yet so many New Yorkers thought it was the kind of common-sense solution to the inequality that we're seeing.
Question: Anything can say about what you're actually looking at in terms of concerns that need to be addressed from a few years ago?
Mayor Mamdani: I think all of the top minds in City Hall who have to do with property tax collection and the administration of these kinds of taxes, they have been at the heart of these conversations, and there's a confidence in not only that this will be a part of how we balance our budget, but that we will actually be able to collect this kind of money.
Question: I want to start with a question that your wife gave recently. Specifically, do you know which tweets she's apologizing for? Was it for using the N-word or saying Tel Aviv shouldn't exist? And more recently, she liked posts that celebrated October 7th. She's continued to remain silent on that. And finally, the article calls her a public figure, which she doesn't push back on. And at the same time, you said to me a couple of months ago when I asked you specifically about her, you said that she's not a public figure and does not owe an explanation for her posts. So, can you clarify that for us?
Mayor Mamdani: So, look, I think first and foremost, I'll say that I made the decision to run for mayor, and in doing so, become an incredibly public figure. And this is also a decision that then has ramifications for those that I love and those that are around me. My wife made the decision to be an artist. And I think that these kinds of questions are part and parcel of what is coming with myself being the mayor of the city. But at the end of the day, it is my decision to be in this position. It is my responsibility to the people of New York City. I am grateful that much of the questions that she faces are also questions about her artistry and the work that she does, because that is also who she is. You know, she shared some of her reflections in this interview. I won't add much to them. What I will say, however, is that she is someone of incredible integrity. She's someone that I am lucky to be able to call my wife and that I am proud of her each and every day.
Question: I want to go back to the video. I know that you've had a lot of questions about it, but the community in Brooklyn where the violent arrest occurred, has been complaining about increased drug problems for a long time in the area. I'm wondering, will there be an increased police presence there because of the problems of drug use there? And can the NYPD gain the trust of the community because this incident happened?
Mayor Mamdani: I think that the first order of business that we have is the investigation into that video. And I know that is something that is continuing. I've shared my thoughts on the fact that it is not only incredibly disturbing but also unacceptable. And that investigation, as it continues, these two detectives have been placed on modified duty. And as we have updates in that investigation, and they are ones to share with the public, then I will do so. When it comes to delivering on the needs of any community across the city, I have confidence in the NYPD's ability to do so. Because as we know, these are concerns that we can see our approach to public safety have [been] effective at addressing at a larger sense. But the work always continues on a day-to-day basis.
Question: I just wonder if you think there should be an increased police presence there to deal with this drug problem. Because even though this is a horrific incident that we saw the video of, the underlying problem still exists.
Mayor Mamdani: I think what I can-
Question: What do you want to see happen to the people in that community who have, you know, legitimate concerns?
Mayor Mamdani: I think what I'll share is that what I've heard much of in these last few days, the first concern that I've heard from so many across the community is about the health and wellness of that individual. And I am heartened to hear that he is healing at home. I think that that is where our priority has to be. And then as we address that, to also address longer-standing community concerns, absolutely.
Question: You've had some concerns about the City Council's two buffer zone bills. I think you have another week and a half or so to decide what to do. But now that you've had time to think about them since they've passed, I'm just wondering what your thinking is on each of them and whether you see them as separate because, as you know, one passed with a veto-proof majority and one passed without it. So, the council seems to be drawing a distinction in the quality of those two bills. So, I just wanted to get your update.
Mayor Mamdani: I would say that regardless of a vote count, I will always consider pieces of legislation independently, no matter if they're introduced as a package or voted on together, and that I will continue to consider the options that we have. I've heard from a number of New Yorkers about their concerns about aspects of this legislation. And I will be making a decision on that shortly. As you said, the deadline is at the end of next week. And we'll then share that publicly.
Question: [inaudible] any concerns that you've heard?
Mayor Mamdani: I think at this time, it's more about incorporating those concerns in the discussion we're having internally and then coming to a decision on the basis of that. Thank you.
Question: You've been quite outspoken about the situation regarding FIFA ticket pricing. If you look at the Knicks playoff tickets, it costs roughly $380 to get in the door for game one at MSG and about $80 to get in the door in Atlanta. So, I'm wondering if you think the Knicks need to be doing more.
Mayor Mamdani: I think first I would say that I blame Trae Young. And I think it's always important to blame Trae Young. Look, I think that we have seen sports become more and more of a luxury commodity. And that is not what it always used to be. My political mentor is Bernie Sanders. And Bernie Sanders has shared time and again that one of the moments where he realized just how broken this political system is was when he saw the Dodgers be taken away from Brooklyn. And I think it just speaks to the many ways in which New Yorkers, time and again, are being pushed out of the very things that give them so much joy. I am still confident and hopeful of a championship this year. I do wish, however, that all of these tickets were far more affordably priced. And, you know, I think that there are many New Yorkers for whom the game is something that is celebrated across the entire city. When the Knicks do well, you feel it across this whole city. And it's not just for those who can afford to go to the game.
Question: But you know it's only going to get worse if they do move toward a championship. I think the presale on the finals tickets, which they of course didn't make last year, was like three grand-
Mayor Mamdani: You didn't have to say that. We all know.
Question: It hurts me too. But you know it's only going to get worse. So, I mean the question is, does Knicks ownership need to be doing more to give away free tickets, give away discounted tickets, something to help fans enjoy this experience?
Mayor Mamdani: I think that every single owner of a sports team across the country needs to be doing more to make their tickets more affordable. Truly.
Question: I want to talk about your predecessor. You've been really critical of him at many opportunities. And you've said that you're going to diverge from him in many ways. Like mayoral control, encampment sweeps, the CityFHEPS lawsuit. And then, as you've become mayor, you've reversed and kind of followed in similar footsteps as Eric Adams. And you've touted accomplishments that were actually started or mostly completed under the previous administration, the Hungry Panda settlement, the Weeksville Heritage Center, the scaffolding removal, child care for city workers, hotel junk fees rules. I'm curious if in office you have a different kind of - a different feeling about your predecessor. Do you think about Eric Adams differently now?
Mayor Mamdani: No.
Question: How do you think about him?
Mayor Mamdani: The same way that I did before.
Question: How would you describe that?
Mayor Mamdani: I am speaking to you a few months into serving as our city's mayor after having inherited what was initially a $12 billion fiscal deficit. It was not a deficit that was created by an external set of circumstances. It was not the Great Recession that was affecting the entire country. This was a deficit that was created by City Hall. And so, it is hard to have all that much of appreciation for a predecessor when you are looking at systemic under-budgeting of long-term expenses that drive a city to face a generational fiscal crisis and to not even have the honesty about that level of deficit. It is one that means we have to clean this up even though it was created far before we were here. And that is the responsibility of leadership and that is what comes with this position. But it also means that my opinions about the mayor have not changed.
