How and why to pay attention to New York’s local politics
It’s easier than you might think
When we think of politics, the grandeur of presidential campaigns, the tug-of-war in Congress, and Supreme Court appointments often dominate our attention. However, I think politics at the city and state level is hugely underappreciated relative to its impact on everyday life.
Shifting your focus to local politics can transform your perspective, making you feel more connected to your community, more optimistic about your ability to effect change, and more informed about the decisions that directly impact you.
By adjusting your news diet and spending some time learning about what’s going on around you, you can switch from being a passive consumer of New York to being an active creator of it.
Why care about local government?
City and state level politics have a big impact on your life. It’s the decisions of the city and state governments that most directly impact the cost of housing, the quality of local schools, the safety of the streets, and dozens more everyday issues. It’s the local government that controls what outdoor dining is allowed, how homelessness is handled, and many of your rights as an employee.
You’re already paying a lot of tax towards your local government. The median New York City household pays 6.7% of their income in state and city tax, plus thousands more in property taxes.1 These local governments also levy sales tax of approximately 8% on most purchases of goods. If you’re not paying attention, you won’t know how these taxes are being spent, and you’ll have even less ability to influence their spending in ways that you prefer.
Lots of progress actually happens at the city and state level. In the past year, New York City’s government banned solitary confinement in city jails, provided emergency food and shelter to 60 thousand asylum-seekers, and built a brand new waterfront park — to name just three things off the top of my head. Local government is no utopia, but in New York at least it’s a place where things can actually get done without the ridiculous shenanigans of filibusters, debt ceiling crises, and made-for-TV moments that plague the federal government.
You can connect with your local community. I’ve met awesome people from a wide variety of backgrounds by getting involved. New York is still a big and impersonal/anonymous place, but getting to know other people who care about making it better — even if I don’t always agree with them — has been instrumental to making New York feel like home.
I most viscerally experienced progress and community connection through the construction of Third Avenue’s bus lane and bike lane. I learned about the proposal online, spoke in support of it at my local community board meeting, and then a year later the area around my home was transformed. This campaign connected me with neighbors and made me feel optimistic that good things can and do happen in New York.
How to keep up with what New York’s city and state governments are doing
The first step is accepting that politics involves more than just voting in elections. It’s best if you can properly understand the institutions, the people, and the subjects at hand.
The easiest way to start is to add local politics news into the places you’re already visiting: your email inbox and social media feeds.
Subscribe to a local politics newsletter. I really like City & State’s free First Read email newsletter, which provides a simple roundup at 7am each day of the top stories in local politics. I scroll through it in bed each morning, and save linked articles that catch my eye to my reading list. Typical coverage includes notable bills in the city council, what the governor and mayor are up to, and the budget. Other similar newsletter include those published by Politico, The New York Times, and Hell Gate — take your pick!
If you want to learn more about your options for local news, Sachi at NYC Politics 101 has a great round-up.
Follow your local elected officials on social media. They typically post about causes they’re working on, events they attend, and local news (like severe weather or farmers markets). Even if you don’t personally adore them, it’s still worth seeing what they’re doing. The easiest way to view the list of your local representatives is on Who Represents Me, which conveniently links straight to their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook profiles. Try them for a couple of weeks; you can always unfollow anyone you find annoying. Shout-out to some of my favorites Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and State Assemblymember Alex Bores for reliably posting interesting content!
Then, there’s taking some more proactive steps.
Find out what’s happening at your community board meetings. Every address in New York City is part of one of 59 community districts, each of which is represented by a board of 50 locals who provide feedback to city agencies about issues impacting their areas. They host meetings every month covering topics such as parks, education, transport, sanitation, and land use. Anyone can attend in-person or watch a video livestream. Look here to find your local community board’s meeting schedule and agendas.
Take a class on local government. Maximum New York is a non-profit politics school that runs regular classes on how New York’s government works, and politics in general. I took the Foundations of New York City class back in 2022 and I loved it.
Make sure you’re registered to vote. The same voter registration system is used for city, state, and federal elections. If you’re a US citizen, you can register (or update your details) online. If you’re not sure whether/where you’re registered, you can double-check the NYC registry here. You can also opt-in to voting by mail, if you’d find that more convenient.
Engaging with New York's local politics allows us to shape our neighborhoods and daily experiences. Every aspect of our city life, from street safety to park vibrancy, is influenced by local decisions. Begin with easy actions: subscribe to a newsletter, follow a city council member, or attend a community board meeting. These small steps deepen our connection to New York and enable us to help forge its future. Instead of merely living in New York, let's take an active role in molding it into an even better place.
SmartAsset tax calculations based on US Census Bureau data of median household income. Property taxes in New York are very complicated, and the average NYC home is taxed at approximately 0.98% of its value per year. Note that although renters don’t directly pay their own property tax bills, ultimately their landlords fund these property tax payments out of rent.
Great stuff! This is a drum I've been beating here in Austin. I think there's a huge psychological benefit to becoming an active creator of your city that would help a lot of people overcome this pervasive feeling of malaise. Getting involved in local politics, learning how it all works, and then seeing positive change you helped make happen is, I think, an exercise in and validation of one's sense of agency. It's empowering in a fundamental sense, if not a democratic one. If more people rediscovered the benefits of local engagement, we might start to rethink our expectations of what happens nationally, too.