NYC Comptroller Lander Backs Away From Income-Tax Hike Proposal

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Democrat who is challenging Mayor Eric Adams in next year’s primary, backed away from a proposal to increase the city’s income tax on the top 1% of earners.

In May 2023, as federal pandemic aid wound down, Lander recommended raising the city’s top 3.876% income-tax rate to help pay for pre-kindergarten, universal child care, public transit and affordable housing.

But on Monday, Lander said he made the proposal because funding for pre-kindergarten and summer programs for elementary and middle-school children was in doubt. With funding for those programs now intact, Lander ...