Reuters
(New York, New York) – Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after proposing nearly $30 million in cuts to New York City’s public library systems — a move that reverses a campaign pledge to increase funding.
Under Mamdani’s $127 billion preliminary budget plan, the Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library would see an $11.6 million reduction compared to last year. Funding for the Brooklyn Public Library would drop by $8.7 million, while Queens Public Library would face a $9.2 million cut.
The reductions would affect programming for seniors and services for individuals seeking citizenship, according to officials familiar with the proposal.
A Reversal of Campaign Promises
During his campaign and again after his election, Mamdani pledged to dedicate 0.5% of the city’s total budget to libraries, calling the system “critical to our city’s success.” At a December press conference at the Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, he reaffirmed that commitment.
“We’re not going to be doing a dance around things that are critically important to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said at the time, drawing applause. “If there is something that we believe in, we will make that clear in our own preliminary.”
That promise remains posted on his campaign website.
Political Blowback
The proposed cuts have drawn accusations of hypocrisy, particularly given Mamdani’s prior criticism of former Mayor Eric Adams for similar reductions.
In 2023, Mamdani condemned Adams’ proposed $58 million in library cuts as “cruel,” writing on social media that the funding reductions were “devastating” to essential services.
Adams, who later restored much of the funding, responded sharply to Mamdani’s proposal this week.
“WHERE IS THE ‘SAVE THE LIBRARIES’ GANG?!” Adams wrote on X.
Activist groups also weighed in. Occupy Wall Street noted that Mamdani’s proposal would allocate less to libraries than Adams’ final budgets, urging supporters to push the mayor to fulfill his 0.5% funding pledge.
Library Systems Respond
The city’s three public library systems stopped short of condemning the mayor outright but encouraged full funding in negotiations with the City Council.
“We look forward to working with the Administration and City Council to ensure that the FY27 budget fully funds the city’s libraries so that we can maintain vital services while also supporting enhanced Sunday hours,” the Brooklyn, Queens and New York Public Library systems said in a joint statement.
They added they were “highly encouraged” by the mayor’s continued pledge to dedicate 0.5% of the city’s budget to libraries.
The current proposal does leave $2 million in place for Sunday openings — a measure previously included in Adams’ budget.
Administration Defense
Mamdani’s team defended the reductions, pointing to fiscal constraints inherited from the prior administration.
“Libraries and city parks are the jewels of our city and embody the promise of public spaces,” spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement.
“But the budget crisis we inherited compels us to take an all-of-government approach and use every tool at our disposal to meet the legal mandate to balance the budget, including achieving efficiencies and cutting waste.”
Budget negotiations are expected to continue in the coming weeks as the City Council reviews the mayor’s preliminary proposal.
