BREAKING NEWS: New York City’s incoming administration just announced a significant appointment that could reshape the city’s fiscal strategy. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has named Sherif Soliman, a Staten Island native, as the next director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget.
In a statement released earlier today, Mamdani emphasized the urgency of aligning the city’s budget with the needs of its residents. “A successful administration must have a budget that reflects the needs of working New Yorkers,” he stressed, underscoring Soliman’s extensive experience as a negotiator and public servant.
Sherif Soliman, who grew up in New Springville and graduated from Port Richmond High School, brings nearly 30 years of public service experience to this pivotal role. His family immigrated to New York from Egypt, adding a personal touch to his commitment to the community.
Soliman’s impressive resume includes serving as chief of staff to former Assemblyman Eric Vitaliano and leading the New York State Legislative Affairs team. He has held various roles, such as director of communications at the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and chief of staff for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations. Notably, he was appointed as Department of Finance Commissioner by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in late 2020 and later worked under Mayor Eric Adams as the director of the Office of Policy and Planning.
Most recently, Soliman served as senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer at City University of New York (CUNY), where he achieved a remarkable 77% reduction in the structural deficit and secured hundreds of millions for labor contracts in the state budget.
“I am humbled by the trust Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has placed in me to take on this important role,” Soliman stated. “Budgets reflect the values of an administration — they are about innovation and excellence in government. I look forward to the work ahead in building a budget that delivers real wins for working New Yorkers,” he added.
As the city prepares for a new fiscal landscape, Soliman’s appointment is expected to significantly influence policy decisions and budget allocations. The Mayor-elect’s affordability agenda aims to directly benefit working-class families across New York City.
Now that this key position has been filled, all eyes will be on Soliman as he begins to outline the new administration’s budget priorities. With a backdrop of economic challenges, the focus on affordability could not come at a more critical time for New Yorkers.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops and the new budget plans are unveiled in the coming weeks.
