NYC Mayoral Election: Where Do Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota Stand on Major Issues?

New York City residents are just hours away from electing a new mayor to succeed Michael Bloomberg, who has been in office for 12 years.  Throughout the race, it has become apparent that the two candidates are worlds apart on the hot-button issues like policing and the use of stop-and-frisk. 

Policing

Democrat Bill de Blasio, the New York City public advocate, opposes "overuse" of stop-and-frisk, and supports more surveillance cameras and an NYPD Inspector General. He has also pledged to replace Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, whom he's called "the architect of the overuse of stop-and-frisk that has had such a negative effect on the relationship between police and ... many communities of color," reports the New York Daily News.

On the other hand, Republican Joe Lhota, a former deputy mayor under Rudolph Giuliani, has vowed to keep Kelly on the job and accused de Blasio of wanting to create lax policing polices that would welcome in crime. He also rejects the notion of creating an independent inspector general to oversee the NYPD.

"The New York City Police Department has more oversight than any other police department in the United States of America, and this level of bureaucracy is completely unnecessary," Lhota said according to the NY Daily News.

While de Blasio would drop the appeal of a court ruling that would impose sweeping reforms on stop-and-frisk, Lhota would continue the appeal.

Education

When it comes to education, both candidates agree to maintain mayoral control of schools and allow students to bring cell phones to school. However, their views differ on charter schools. 

Lhota, who sent his children to private schools, favors charter schools and promises to double the number. "If you oppose charter schools and the programs and the choices that are available for minorities and inner-city children and children of immigrants, you cannot call yourself a progressive," Lhota said according to NY1.

De Blasio, however, has said, "I won't favor charters the way the Bloomberg administration did, and I think that's fair." The Democrat, who raised his children in NYC public schools, wants to keep the number of schools as it is while charging charter schools rent for using the same building as traditional schools.

Lhota wants to continue Mayor Bloomberg's policy of closing failing schools, while de Blasio says failing schools should be fixed, not shut down.

In addition, De Blasio is pushing his signature plan, pre-K for all. Lhota said he also wants that although the two differ on how to pay for it.

Taxes and Spending

Lhota vows to cut a slew of taxes including a tax on capital that he says hurts startups and entrepreneurs, the hotel occupancy tax and the commercial rent tax. He has also vowed to cut commercial and residential property taxes.  One of the only tax he plans to implement is the commuter tax.

In contrast, De Blasio would hike income taxes on wealthy New Yorkers who earn $500,000 or more to 4.3 percent from 3.8 percent, and has vowed property tax reform.

Housing

Lhota supports building 150,000 low-cost units in the five boroughs over the next four years, whereas De Blasio wants to build or preserve 200,000 units over the next decade.

Business

De Blasio has said he wants the city, not the state, to set the local minimum wage and wants to raise it from the current $7.25 an hour. As mayor, de Blasio would expand coverage of paid sick days for workers. Lhota, however, opposes this idea.

Transportation

Both candidates have pipe dreams for the buses, subways and railroads, which the mayor does not control.

De Blasio wants to expand Metro-North service in the Bronx, even though the railroad line is controlled by the MTA.

Lhota wants the mayor to take over the city's bridges and tunnels, which are currently controlled by the transit agency and offer the MTA a major revenue stream. The former MTA chief said he would push for more city funding of the bus and subway network, while de Blasio says he would add 20 express bus routes to the current network.