2025-12-18T18:47:48.063Z
Mamdani named veteran fiscal official Sherif Soliman as New York City’s next budget director.
The appointment follows a transition shaped by progressive allies, including Lina Khan.
Soliman will help execute Mamdani’s affordability agenda, from free buses to universal childcare.
Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed Sherif Soliman as the city’s budget director, adding a seasoned public servant to one of the administration’s most consequential roles.
In an announcement on Thursday, Mamdani said Soliman brings nearly 30 years of experience across three mayoral administrations. The mayor-elect said Soliman helped reduce the structural deficit at CUNY, the city’s public university system, by 79% and secured $1.5 billion for universal pre-K.
Mamdani said Soliman will guide a budget designed to advance the city’s affordability goals.
Mamdani won the mayor’s race in November, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa with about 50% of the vote. He received more than a million votes, the first candidate to cross that threshold since 1969. The 34-year-old will be the city’s first Muslim mayor.
A self-described Democratic Socialist, Mamdani faced millions of dollars in opposition spending by prominent business leaders in both the Democratic primary and the general election.
Mamdani’s transition team has drawn scrutiny from some in the business community. Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, a prominent antitrust advocate, is serving as a cochair. Khan said in November that Mamdani’s victory signaled a rejection of corporate influence in politics, sharpening concerns in industries that have long been critical of her regulatory approach.
Mamdani campaigned on a sweeping affordability platform, including free childcare for infants and toddlers, free buses, and a rent freeze for the city’s roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. His plans also include more busways, tripling production of subsidized housing, and piloting five city-run grocery stores.
The proposals carry high costs, from an estimated $6 billion a year for universal childcare to $800 million for free buses. Soliman will be tasked with translating those ideas into a workable fiscal blueprint.
This story was written using Business Insider’s AI tools and edited by a Business Insider editor.
