Previously Published in The Messenger
By Julia Katz
If Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) becomes New York City’s next mayor, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) says he’ll be standing by with an offer for the city’s businesses: move east, pay less.
Speaking on WABC 770 AM’s Cats Roundtable with Manhattan business tycoon John Catsimatidis, Romaine promised tax breaks to any companies willing to set up shop about 70 miles away on Long Island.
“If Mr. Mamdani wins, I’m going to encourage many of the corporations that do business in New York City to come to Suffolk. We’re going to give them tax breaks. They’re going to be able to do better,” he said.
Catsimatidis noted that Florida officials have been trying to lure New York City CEOs south.
Romaine’s pitch? You don’t have to move that far.
“Come out to Suffolk,” he said.
Mamdani (pictured above), 33, is running on a platform of making New York more affordable. His big-ticket promises include free bus service, universal childcare, city-owned grocery stores, and more affordable housing. To pay for them, he wants to raise about $9 billion in new taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers. That would mean matching New Jersey’s 11.5% corporate tax rate and adding a 2% tax on incomes above $1 million.
Romaine thinks that plan would speed up the city’s existing population and business exodus, already fueled by congestion pricing, the commuter tax, and the high cost of living.
“The taxpayers who pay the taxes, how much are they going to put up with?” he asked, adding that these policies “undercut and hurt our communities.”
Some in the business world agree. Mark Jaffe, president of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said it’s no shock that Suffolk would try to benefit.
“If someone is going to raise taxes, it will be advantageous to neighboring cities,” he said. But Jaffe also questioned whether Mamdani will win in November, calling him “an idealist” and stressing the need for a “pragmatic mayor.”
Still, Mamdani is gaining ground. He beat former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-Sutton Place) in the Democratic primary by twelve points, and a recent Zenith Research/Public Progress Solutions poll puts him at 50% favorability heading into the general election. His spokesperson, Dora Pekec, fired back at critics, saying, “Working people are being pushed out of the city they built, and it’s because of corrupt politicians like Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn).”
Romaine, a Republican, isn’t convinced Mamdani is ready for City Hall.
“He does not have the life experience and wisdom needed to gain perspective on what works and what does not,” he said.
Not everyone sees disaster in Mamdani’s plans. Caroline Weaver, founder of The Locavore Guide, said, “It’s too soon to panic,” adding that small businesses might thrive in a city focused on affordability.
Still, she doesn’t think leaving is the best answer: “Small businesses cannot survive in a city that prioritizes corporations and billionaires, but there’s got to be a way everyone can co-exist functionally.”
Whatever happens in November, Suffolk County is positioning itself as a ready-made, business-friendly backup plan for any New York companies looking to pack up and leave.