Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his return to work Monday after enjoying family time in upstate New York last week.
“It was a lovely time upstate. Bounced around. Missed the city, missed you guys. Happy to be home,” he said.
To welcome him back was a pair of new lawsuits challenging his plan for city-run grocery stores.
A group of business owners is arguing that the plan discriminates against minority-owned stores that won’t be able to compete with the city groceries’ discounted prices. The lawsuit asks that a judge halt the plans for one grocery store in each borough.
“We have seen in fact with Essex Street Market in Manhattan, as well as Morris Street Market in Brooklyn, a model where the city has subsidized groceries and it has not had a negative effect on bodegas,” Mamdani said at an unrelated event Monday. “I’m confident with both the legality of this, that it’ll stand up in court and the importance of delivering it.”
Meanwhile, Mamdani’s family vacation coincided with a City Council hearing on the rollout of a tax on luxury second homes. Some New Yorkers have expressed frustration over the rollout and some local lawmakers were upset that no one from his administration attended the hearing.
The mayor explained his team’s absence.
“We didn’t believe it would be in the legal interest to the city to send a senior representative,” he said.
A court date in that lawsuit is set for later this month. Mamdani also played defense for his political allies.
One of the leaders of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has come under fire for not previously disclosing that he lives in a $1.5 million home and that he is no longer a union electrician.
Mamdani was asked about whether Gustavo Gordillo’s lifestyle is consistent with the group’s working-class affordability movement.
“Anyone who is focused on delivering a more affordable life for the people of New York City — a fairer life for the people of New York City and frankly of those of the world should be welcomed into this work. And that’s what I see so many doing,” the mayor said.
In a statement to NY1, co-chair of the NYC DSA Grace Mausser said she welcomed the mayor standing in solidarity with Gordillo.
“NYC-DSA is led by a diverse group of volunteers who have beaten the ruling class and delivered real wins for working class people again and again. We agree with Zohran than (sic) people who come from privilege and wealth, who see up close exactly how our economic system keeps large swaths of people in poverty, and still choose to fight for socialism and redistribute the obscene wealth of the ruling class are on the right side of history,” Mausser said.
Before being peppered with a slew of questions, Mamdani announced a new park program called the “Renew Crew” aimed at making quick fixes of broken or chipped equipment.
“The overgrown tennis court, the rusted swing set, the bench that needs a new coat of paint. If it is run down this crew will renew it,” Mamdani said.
The new crews will consist of 24 skilled workers who will work on projects for three weeks or less before moving on.
The crew will work from April to October across all five boroughs.