New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, a Democrat just elected to the citywide position of chief financial officer, joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first budget plan, just after Mamdani released the $127 billion preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (which begins July 1, 2026). Levine discussed the city's fiscal and economic health, his initial reaction to Mamdani's budget plan (which includes a property tax increase unless the city gets more revenue through state-approved tax increases), and the next steps in the budget process. (Ep 568)