Poll: New Yorkers back wealth tax over property tax hike

(The Center Square) — New Yorkers overwhelmingly back taxing the city’s wealthiest residents if it means averting a potential property tax increase, according to a new poll.

The Siena Research Institute survey, released Tuesday, found that voters by a 54%-29% margin support giving New York City the authority to raise personal income taxes on City residents earning at least $1 million.

The poll comes as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani seeks approval from state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul to raise taxes by 2% on households with income above $1 million and increase the combined corporate tax rate to just over 22%, the highest in the nation. Mamdani says higher taxes are needed to whittle down a $5.4 billion budget deficit he inherited from the previous administration.

Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said while neither Hochul and or legislative leaders have said publicly if they support Mamdani’s tax plans, which require state approval, the data shows that “the public is on Mamdani’s side.”

“While Re...