Grassroots Nonprofit Our Time NYC, Supporting Mayor Mamdani's Agenda, Announces Closure
Our Time NYC, a grassroots nonprofit established to advance Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s policy agenda, is ceasing operations just nine months after its launch. The organization, founded by allies of Mayor Mamdani, aimed to mobilize support for his initiatives, including taxing the rich, universal childcare, and a pied-à-terre tax. Despite attracting over 650 participants to its initial 'mass call' in December and claiming policy victories such as a rent freeze, the group faced significant challenges. These included competition from the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which forms the mayor's political base, and the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement. A staffing exodus several months prior led the board to announce a 'moment of pausing,' and the organization currently has no employees, with its last remaining staffer, Jesse Myerson, no longer employed. The closure highlights the difficulties faced by political advocacy groups in maintaining momentum and overcoming internal and extern...