Gov. Hochul bizarrely claims Mamdani’s brand-new pied-à-terre tax list is ‘not out of the ordinary’ - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul defended the publication of a city Department of Finance list identifying property owners who may fall under a newly approved pied-à-terre tax. Speaking at an unrelated press conference in New York City, Hochul said the release was not unusual, comparing it to existing public property-tax information that is routinely available. The Post said the list included owner names, addresses and details tied to potential tax liability.

According to the report, the tax applies to luxury second homes in New York City valued above $5 million. The Post said Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration uploaded the list and is requiring those included to file claims if they believe they should be exempt. The list followed notification letters to affected owners and a social media message from Mamdani drawing attention to the mailings, which prompted criticism from opponents who said the city was exposing private citizens’ information.

The Post also reported that Hochul supported the tax during state budget negotiations, while resisting broader demands from Mamdani and allies on the left for higher income and corporate taxes. Hochul said she would not question the mayor’s motives, framing the outreach as a way to make sure people know the new tax could apply to them.

The dispute matters because it combines several sensitive issues in New York politics: housing affordability, taxation of wealthy property owners, public access to government records and Democratic Party tensions over how aggressively to raise revenue from high-income residents and corporations.