Mayor Zohran Mamdani is poised to sign a bill banning Central Park's horse-drawn carriages, a move critics claim highlights his political acumen and a perceived lack of principle from City Council Speaker Julie Menin and the council.
The bill, expected to be signed into law by Mamdani as early as Wednesday, passed the City Council with a veto-proof majority of 40-to-7.
According to reporting, Mamdani, while theoretically in favor of the ban as a candidate, did not make it a central campaign issue, understanding its niche appeal to a well-funded advocacy group, NYCLASS. This strategy allowed him to avoid alienating broader constituencies while still positioning himself to enact the ban later. Speaker Menin, however, is described as having supported the ban before hearing testimony, a decision that critics argue bypassed due diligence and alienated the carriage trade, which supports approximately 200 jobs.
This legislative maneuver is presented as part of a larger pattern where Mamdani is seen as strategically advancing his agenda while the City Council, particularly its moderate members, appears to sacrifice principles. The article points to Mamdani's upcoming signing of a bill that would weaken landlord property rights by giving non-profit groups priority in bidding on struggling buildings. This issue is framed as more aligned with Mamdani's base.
Past actions are cited as further evidence of this dynamic. In June, Mamdani initially agreed to add 580 police officers to the streets before reneging on the deal, a budget change the council, led by Menin, reportedly accepted. Similarly, Mamdani's decision to halt criminal enforcement for e-cyclists in March was met with a passive response from the council, which held a hearing but did not exert pressure to enforce existing laws.
The analysis suggests that Mamdani, as a citywide official with a strong base and the ability to draw high turnout, holds a more powerful political position than the City Council speaker. Menin, it is argued, struggles to command broad attention and, in these instances, is seen as making Mamdani appear more effective by comparison.