The centerpiece of the 1964-65 World's Fair has suffered from a lack of modernized infrastructure and frequent flooding within the park. The Unisphere's water features and the Fountain of the Fairs, a misting fountain for residents to cool off in during the summer, are both currently out of operation. Nonetheless, Mamdani chose to stand in front of the Unisphere a day after his election as the city's 111th mayor - and the first ever to hail from Queens.
Like so many other costs, city rates and fees are going up in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in October. Overall, the projected yearly impact of all the fee increases will be $417 for the average homeowner in Austin. Those increases include fees for water, trash service, drainage, the Clean Community Fee and the Transportation User fee. The monthly charge from Austin Energy will also increase slightly, but the utility is lowering the overall customer bill by reducing the amount per kilowatt-hour used.
The city's Park and Recreation Department is seeking new funding solutions to address a $700 million maintenance backlog while expanding parkland without adequate resources.