Crain’s asked the nine leading candidates in the June Democratic primary for mayor of New York City to answer questions about their stances on the city’s biggest issues. Below are the answers by Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller and Manhattan borough president. Stringer, a leading candidate for mayor in 2021, is running a relatively centrist campaign that emphasizes his managerial experience.
1. What’s your single biggest idea that you’d implement as mayor?
I will create a new position, the Deputy Mayor for Quality of Life, who will respond directly to quality of life concerns across the city, coordinating and holding accountable all city agencies — including the NYPD, where we will refocus on frontline policing and end egregious overtime spending.
2. Is there a next neighborhood that should be rezoned to allow for more housing? If so, which one?
Neighborhoods get rezoned in a public process with communities; premature to name any location now.
3. What promises are you making to increase the availability of affordable housing? How will you make sure they come to fruition given current high interest rates and backlogs in the city housing department that finances affordable projects?
My Mitchell-Lama 2.0 Plan builds on proven housing programs and commits the city to creating and preserving affordable homes. We will conduct a citywide survey to identify vacant lots and underutilized public properties and prioritize them for housing. I’ll create incentives and mandate that at least 50% of new developments serve low- and middle-income families. My administration will invest $500 million in a revolving loan fund to support developers, cut red tape to expedite construction, and secure $40 billion to invest in NYCHA repairs, modernization and expansion. We have too many bureaucratic processes that delay changes New Yorkers need.
4. Should the city take steps to limit member deference vetoes for land-use projects at the City Council?
While council member consultation is important, having absolute veto power should be limited. We must look at ways to reduce needless bureaucratic processes that slow development and progress.
5. What’s one specific thing the city should do to take advantage of artificial intelligence to boost the city’s economy or workforce — or limit AI’s influence?
My QualitySTAT system will use AI to aggregate city data across agencies in order to make city government responsive to the quality of life concerns of New Yorkers. City government should also work to attract AI startups in the city, positioning New York as a global leader in AI innovation and applications.
6. Should the city add to its budget reserves this year to brace against potential federal cuts? If so, by how much?
Yes, I’ll create a $1 billion “Very Rainy Day” Fund to protect NYC services from federal coercion. Funded by city and state dollars, it will ensure independence, transparency, and oversight — guarding against threats from the Trump Administration.
7. Would you consider raising property taxes if the city faces severe fiscal problems?
I would only raise property taxes as a last resort. A mayor with a well-managed budget plan and sufficient reserves should be able to lead the city through any crisis we may have.
8. Should the city tackle e-bike safety problems by changing criminal enforcement, building bike infrastructure, or both?
We must take a balanced approach. My public safety plan enables the NYPD to leverage advanced technology to use traffic cameras to monitor riders and effectively enforce traffic laws. I will invest in protected bike lanes, implement daylighting, and shift last-mile deliveries to bikes to create jobs and incentivize buy-in from private industry — making NYC a leader in safe urban mobility.
9. Is the city ready to implement the Local Law 97 climate policy, whose first compliance reports were due May 1? If not, should the city ease requirements, do more to help landlords comply, or something else?
I support Local Law 97 but believe the city needs to create systems that help property owners navigate compliance requirements, create clearer and transparent guidelines, and standardize the tools for measuring building emissions for fair and effective enforcement. We must act now to ensure our city will be sustainable for future generations.
10. Should the city deploy more police into the subway system, fewer, or the same number?
More. My safety plan puts an officer on every train at peak hours, pairs police with mental health professionals, and restores the NYPD headcount to 35,000 through recruitment and retention plans.
11. Police officers stopped and frisked more pedestrians in 2024 than they had in any year since 2014, according to NYPD data. Would you continue that policy?
Stop and frisk is outdated and unconstitutional. As mayor, I’ll end it, refocus NYPD on data-driven, proactive policing, and expand smart tech to ensure real public safety without racial profiling.
12. Should the city expand its use of involuntary commitments for people with serious mental illness? If so, what steps would the city need to take to expand their use, and if not, why not?
My quality of life plan focuses on addressing the mental health crisis in this city by investing in our city’s mental health infrastructure and making services available 24/7. While I support strengthening involuntary commitment laws in the interest of public safety, it must only be in the most extreme cases. I have advocated for revising these laws to allow for more effective interventions in cases where individuals pose a danger to themselves or others. We need specific, actionable plans rather than broad proposals to address the mental health crisis. This issue has always required a very nuanced approach, balancing civil liberties and justice reform with stronger tools for intervention when necessary. In order to provide New Yorkers with the care they need, our NYPD officers will receive specialized training and be paired with mental health professionals to de-escalate situations and lead with compassion.
