Whether the city can navigate this transition successfully will depend on both Mamdani’s capacity to learn from experienced administrators like Fuleihan and his willingness to preserve functioning systems even when they reflect values he opposes.

Hidden History: A Mayoral Miscount Spanning Five Centuries Raises Questions About Mamdani’s Official Numbering – Historian discovers overlooked 1674 mayoral term of Matthias Nicolls, suggesting Mamdani may be 112th mayor, not 111th–implications affect every subsequent successor