![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769057254_378_DSC_0550.jpg\" "\\"MAMDANI'S")
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit the three-week mark of his historic administration on Wednesday, continuing to zero in on his affordability agenda with a ban on hidden \u201cjunk fees.\u201d The mayor also condemned antisemitic graffiti found in Borough Park, Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell <\/p>\n
Wednesday, Jan. 21, marked the 21st day of Zohran Mamdani\u2019s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city\u2019s finances. Here\u2019s a summary of what the mayor did today.<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit the three-week mark of his historic administration on Wednesday, continuing to zero in on his affordability agenda with a ban on hidden \u201cjunk fees.\u201d The mayor also condemned<\/a> antisemitic graffiti found in Borough Park, Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Mamdani administration will ban hidden fees and unexpected credit card holds at New York City hotels that \u201ccheat consumers and hurt honest small businesses,\u201d Mamdani announced<\/a> at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new rule will ensure that New Yorkers and visitors alike are not stuck paying hidden hotel fees, and will instead save millions of dollars each year,\u201d Mamdani said at the conference. \u201cIn just three weeks, our administration has made it clear that deceptive business practices do not have a home here, and that City Hall will always fight for New Yorkers to know exactly what they\u2019re paying for.\u201d<\/p>\n Affordability: More action on \u2018junk fees\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cJunk fees\u201d refer to when hotels advertise \u201ca base room rate\u201d and only later reveal \u201cadditional mandatory charges that make it harder for consumers to understand the true overall cost.\u201d According to the city, DCWP received over 300 consumer complaints \u201crelated to hidden hotel fees or unexpected holds\u201d on credit cards.<\/p>\n Mamdani announced the rule alongside Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Sam Levine, former Manhattan Borough President and current City Council Member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), and business, consumer, and labor leaders at the The Whitney Museum of American Art.<\/p>\n \u201cDCWP will use its full enforcement authority to ensure hotels comply with the laws and rules of our city and we will be vigilant to ensure consumers have transparency in their transactions and that workers\u2019 rights are respected,\u201d Levine said at the conference, specifically citing the expected uptick in travel to the city for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in New Jersey.<\/p>\n The mayor issued two executive orders<\/a> on Jan. 5 seeking to crack down on \u201cjunk fees\u201d and \u201csubscription tricks and traps\u201d that make \u201cgoods and services less affordable for New Yorkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The executive orders and the Wednesday announcement stem from Mamdani\u2019s ambitious affordability agenda he laid out in his campaign \u2014 he promised to freeze the rent on rent-stabilized apartments, eliminate fares on city buses, and bring universal childcare to New York City.\u00a0He recently announced, alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, a\u00a0state-funded universal childcare program<\/a> for the city\u2019s two-year-olds.<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s new rule \u201cgoes a step further\u201d than Federal Trade Commission rules, categorizing unclear pricing as a deceptive trade practice. He said the administration is focused on making the city \u201ccheaper to visit\u201d while still protecting \u201cthe dignity of the workers that are keeping these hotels running.\u201d<\/p>\n Condemning antisemitism<\/p>\n Mamdani also condemned an instance of antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park, Brooklyn in a Wednesday afternoon post to X<\/a>, writing that antisemitism has \u201cno place in our city.\u201d The graffiti was discovered Wednesday morning amid concerns over a disproportionate rate of antisemitic incidents<\/a> in New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cI stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD\u2019s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n The graffiti included multiple painted swastikas and the words \u201cAdolf Hitler.\u201d Though 2025 saw a 3% downturn in antisemitic incidents compared to 2024, Jewish New Yorkers are disproportionately subject to hate crimes, according to New York City data<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mamdani on tax differences with Hochul<\/p>\n Taking questions from reporters at the press conference, Mamdani addressed the city\u2019s $2.2 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2026 and a projected $10.4 billion gap the following year, which Mamdani and City Comptroller Mark Levine have blamed on budgeting decisions made under former Mayor Eric Adams.<\/p>\n Mamdani and Hochul disagree on hiking taxes for New York\u2019s wealthiest \u2014 a solution that Mamdani believes is a key answer to budget shortfalls but that Hochul is firmly against. The state\u2019s 2026 executive budget<\/a>, presented by Hochul on Tuesday, does not include income tax raises.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the governor\u2019s budget makes meaningful investments that move us closer to an affordable and a livable New York, and I think especially we\u2019ve seen that in terms of early childhood education,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n He continued to blame the shortfall and budget constraints on Adams\u2019 \u201cgross fiscal mismanagement.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Hizzoner said he hopes to \u201cchange the relationship between our city and the state in terms of one that better reflects\u00a0 the city\u2019s status as the economic engine of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC_0559.jpg\" "\\"MAMDANI'S")
Through the lens: Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to focus on junk fees early on in his administration.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n