Tipsheet

The New York City Council Is About to Make Things Even More Expensive in the Big Apple

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  March 13, 2026 10:30 AM

We have to wonder if NYC voters have buyer's remorse yet. Not only has Mayor Mamdani not made good on his promises for free stuff, he's actually working to charge New York commuters for parking that was previously free, and turning Gracie Mansion into a quasi-mosque for Ramadan.

Now the NYC Council has decided that things in the city just aren't expensive enough and they've introduced a bill to raise the city's minimum wage to $30 by 2030, the highest in the nation.

Here's more (emphasis added):

A new bill could push New York City’s minimum wage as high as $30 an hour, setting the stage for one of the highest local pay floors in the nation.

What we know: The proposal would require employers to pay workers at least $25 an hour if they provide qualifying benefits and $30 an hour if they do not.

Lawmakers would apply the same standards to independent contractors, including those who perform work through digital labor platforms.

Dig deeper: The bill directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to adjust the minimum pay rates each year based on inflation. 

The agency would also calculate and update annually the value of qualifying benefits used to determine which pay tier applies.

The measure is similar to a central campaign promise from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who pledged to pursue a $30 minimum wage during his run for office.

That means Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and similar gig-economy services will probably leave the city, or drive up prices so much that people stop using them.

As we saw in California, when it passed its $20 minimum wage, employers cut hours, lay off staff, or shut down entirely. Others will automate what they can, and all of them will pass the expenses onto consumers. They will not simply absorb these insanely high labor costs.

That means any gains from a minimum wage increase will be erased by increased costs.

Machines don't need a minimum wage.

Margaret Thatcher was a smart lady.

Yup. Businesses don't just eat the costs. That's not how you stay in business.

Ah, so it's racist, too.

That's what they do. They're fleeing California and Washington. They'll flee NYC, too.