Political commentator Gunther Eagleman criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday over the city’s searchable property database tied to the new pied-à-terre tax, calling the rollout “clueless and reckless.”
In a post on X, Eagleman shared a Fox News segment that questioned the rollout of New York City’s pied-à-terre tax, saying officials had included properties that may not qualify and were unprepared to handle exemption requests.
He then accused the city of “doxxing” property owners by publishing names and addresses linked to the database, writing, “Publishing names and addresses of people with nice homes… in a city where a healthcare CEO just got executed in the street. This is the guy running the financial capital of the West. Clueless and reckless.”
Tax Rollout Faces Growing Scrutiny
Earlier in July, Mamdani announced New York City had begun notifying owners of qualifying luxury second homes about the upcoming pied-à-terre tax, telling owners of second homes worth more than $5 million to “check your mailbox” because “you’ve got mail.” City officials said the tax is expected to generate about $500 million annually to help fund public services, including parks, libraries and schools.
Days later, Mamdani defended the city’s searchable property database after it sparked privacy concerns. He said the database was not a list of taxpayers but the city’s public property roll required under state law. Officials have said the tax is intended to apply only to qualifying second homes, although critics argued the database listed roughly 960,000 properties that “may be subject to the tax” even though only a fraction are expected to qualify.
Critics Raise Economic Concerns
The policy has also drawn criticism from political and business leaders. Earlier in July, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican challenging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), argued the tax could make it harder for families to pass homes, farms and businesses to future generations. Citadel founder Ken Griffin has separately warned that higher taxes on wealthy property owners could discourage investment in New York and weaken the city’s tax base.
The Fox News segment Eagleman shared also questioned whether the rollout had properly accounted for condos, co-ops and exemption requests, while raising concerns that publishing property owners’ names and addresses could expose some residents to unnecessary safety risks.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
