Stewart-Cousins: 'Not a winning strategy' to fix NYC's budget gap by raising costs

And the state Senate's package of immigrant protection bills is close to being finalized.

Good afternoon — It’s Tuesday and Bartender Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said she’s confident lawmakers will be able to prevent Mamdani’s proposed property tax hike in New York City.

• The state Senate is finalizing a package of immigrant protection bills. Here’s what’s expected to make the cut and what’s on the table.

• The CDPAP investigation launched last year by Democrats has prompted bills to bolster oversight of the popular Medicaid program and future state contracts.

• Hochul’s proposed changes to the state’s environmental review process for new projects, called SEQRA, will be in the spotlight Wednesday. Here’s what it would do.

• A new bill would prevent utility companies from passing on costs to ratepayers related to labor disputes.

Names in today’s CapCon: Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl E. Heastie, Zellnor Myrie, Gabriella Romero, Shelley Mayer, James Skoufis, Gustavo Rivera

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News on the state budget, including proposals, negotiations and results.

(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

💵 Stewart-Cousins confident New York City won’t have to raise property taxes

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature an ultimatum last week.

They can either allow the city to raise income taxes on high-income earners or the city will be forced to raise property taxes to fill its projected $5.4 billion budget gap, Mamdani said.

An army of advocates are expected to descend on the state Capitol Wednesday to advocate for tax hikes on high-income earners. It’s not a new conflict in Albany but supporters view Mamdani’s election last year as fuel for their cause.

Hochul has been staunchly opposed to raising taxes on high-income earners and hasn’t signaled she intends to budge on that position anytime soon.

But an alternative that would result in higher taxes for middle-income New Yorkers is not the solution, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Tuesday.