Good Morning, New York! Businesses are furious at a payroll tax hike to support the MTA, Hochul’s budget victory comes with some caveats, and Eric Adams is seeking the ‘EndAntiSemitism’ ballot line. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Wednesday, April 30th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In NYC, announcing FY26 Budget Investments for Middle-Class Families.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Business owners across New York are not happy with Gov. Hochul's plan to hike payroll taxes to fund the MTA's $68 billion capital project. Critics like John Catsimatidis are warning that the tax increase could trigger an exodus of businesses from the state and lead to fewer hires, while others suggest straphangers should shoulder some of the burden. The MTA also still needs to find $3 billion in savings to make up for the difference not covered by the tax increase. (NY Post)

— Manhattan precincts are facing a serious staffing crisis, with officer numbers down as much as 35% since 2019. City Council Member Erik Bottcher is pushing Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch to restore headcount, especially in the hardest-hit areas. While the NYPD cites a 'hiring crisis' due to anti-police sentiment, Bottcher suggests a multi-pronged approach, including B-HEARD expansion and social workers in precincts. (amNY)

— Thousands of affordable NYC apartments have been sitting empty due to bureaucratic hurdles, but that's about to change—at least temporarily. Starting May 1st, the city will waive lottery requirements for re-rentals, allowing landlords to list vacant units on sites like StreetEasy and accept direct applications. Councilmember Pierina Sanchez calls it a "welcome change," but also wants to see a permanent fix to the city's housing lottery system. (Gothamist)

Capitol Gains

— Hochul declared a budget victory, but key issues like school aid and prison reform are still up in the air. Lawmakers are hashing out details on Foundation Aid formulas and how to address the staffing shortage caused by the recent correction officer strike. While changes to earned time for incarcerated individuals have been dropped, the final number is unlikely to come close to the legislatures demands. (State of Politics)

— Herkimer County Legislature Chairman Robert Hollum is back in jail. He was locked up on Friday for a probation violation and a new charge of seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance. Hollum was already on probation after pleading guilty to drug possession stemming from a May 2024 arrest. (Rome Sentinel)

— Rochester is the new battleground in the sanctuary city debate. U.S. border czar Tom Homan visited the city's police union in response to a controversial traffic stop involving Border Patrol. Protesters gathered across Rochester to voice their opposition to Homan's stance and the city's handling of the incident, which critics say violated its sanctuary policies. (State of Politics)

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Trail Mix

— Eric Adams is pushing to get on the ballot with an 'EndAntiSemitism' line, apparently trying to undercut Andrew Cuomo's own focus on fighting antisemitism. But some Jewish leaders are calling foul, arguing that Adams is just politicizing a serious issue. (Politico)

— GOP leaders are urging Rep. Mike Lawler to ditch any plans to run for New York governor in 2026. They don't want to risk losing his battleground House seat, especially since it's one of the few that went to Kamala Harris in 2024. Rep. Elise Stefanik is also considering a run, but Republicans are less worried about defending her seat if she leaves the House. (NBC News)

— Things got awkward between Mike Johnson and Elise Stefanik. After Johnson said he'd discussed a potential gubernatorial run with Stefanik, she publicly called him out on X, stating plainly, "This is not true." Johnson walked back his comments, saying he and Stefanik hadn't specifically discussed her running for governor, but that "it's all good." )(Axios)

— The New York GOP headquarters in Albany was defaced with Nazi symbols for the second time in just two weeks. Party leaders like Ed Cox are pointing fingers at prominent Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and accusing them of fueling anti-GOP hysteria with their rhetoric, while law enforcement investigates. (NY Post)