New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for a “pied-a-terre tax” on the sparsely used homes of putative plutocrats is not staying in NYC. At least one legislator from the northern Hudson Valley exurbs is seeking allowance for a similar punitive levy on such properties there. That shouldn’t be surprising: Resentments toward wealthy seasonal visitors who erect massive houses in such formerly rustic areas is commonplace. The complaint is that these structures or compounds change the character of neighborhoods and drive up real-estate prices such that many locals can’t afford to reside where they grew up or work. (Worse, the places may be used for glam short-term rentals.) It’s said this can hollow out towns during the remaining months, and when the rich do show, their spending skews nearby retail toward luxury and out of reach of everyone else. No wonder NY State Sen. Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, has floated the idea of getting more (besides the basic property tax) out of these hides. Organized resistance can be expected from those in the business of building, equipping and selling such properties–a potent constituency of its own. I’m watching whether Mamdanism spreads to ground zero of conspicuous consumption: The Hamptons. Yesterday, I queried the office of Tommy John Schiavoni, an Assembly Democrat from Long Island’s East End with progressive as well as prosperous backers. So far, no response. –Apr. 24, 2026
https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/04/upstate-dems-push-pied-terre-tax-outside-nyc/413038/
Tim W. Ferguson 