Rent Boards Check Populist Mayors

In New York City, the mayor cannot unilaterally freeze rent‑regulated rents; that power sits with the Rent Guidelines Board, which must weigh statutory evidence annually. A mayoral pledge to fix outcomes in advance invites legal challenge because the RGB’s decisions must be justified by data, not campaign promises. — It shows how quasi‑independent boards can nullify populist pledges, reframing local elections around institutional design rather than executive will.