Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced on Apr. 10 that the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) won New York City’s first-ever Municipal Madness competition, following two weeks of citywide engagement and more than 20,000 votes from residents across the five boroughs. The winning project was DSNY’s effort to clean up illegal dumping in Soundview.
The event marked the conclusion of both the competition and Mayor Mamdani’s first 100 days in office. During his remarks, Mamdani highlighted that while DSNY claimed victory, “the real winners are New Yorkers,” since all tasks included in the bracket will be addressed by city agencies.
Mamdani recognized other participating agencies including the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Parks Department for their efforts throughout the contest. Commissioner Mike Flynn of DOT said, “despite our unexpected and, frankly, heartbreaking loss, New York City DOT’s time spent preparing for Municipal Madness has not been a waste.” Flynn noted ongoing projects such as resurfacing over 1,000 lane miles of roadways and street redesigns planned for this year.
Commissioner Tricia Shimamura from Parks said her department is ready for summer operations: “Parks is a 365-day operation… we’ll be 10,000 strong outside in our park system… making sure that New Yorkers can enjoy their summer season.” Meanwhile, Commissioner Gregory Anderson from DSNY described sanitation workers’ daily commitment: “Our team runs the court day and night to remove 24 million pounds of waste New Yorkers set out every single day.” Anderson emphasized ongoing anti-dumping measures including camera surveillance and fines.
Looking ahead to upcoming challenges—including hosting World Cup games—Mamdani stated his administration remains focused on both major initiatives like universal childcare and addressing everyday quality-of-life issues. He reaffirmed commitments to affordable living across all boroughs: “We are committed to fulfilling the promise we made to New Yorkers… transforming the most expensive city in the United States into one that working-class New Yorkers can afford.”
Responding to questions about public safety for EMTs after recent assaults during emergency calls in the Bronx, Mamdani said police officers would continue responding when there is a threat of violence: “We’ll always look at all of the policies and procedures to ensure that EMT workers don’t have to worry about their safety.”
