Edward Koch
Edward Koch was the 105th Mayor of New York City. He served in office from 1978-1989. Mr. Koch helped us tremendously with this project. He is most known for being the mayor that brought New York out of its fiscal crisis in the late 70s. Mr. Koch spoke profoundly of the social effects of this crisis. Mr. Koch told us that prior to him taking office, many individuals in the city wanted to leave the city, considering the city to be unsafe and its services inadequate to support them. Many residents saw the city as an urban mess. As the city’s residents left for the suburbs, the city was left with a dwindling tax base. The Koch administration offered good governance, restored the trust of the people, and made New Yorkers again proud of their city. Mr. Koch also spoke in depth about how his administration lowered expenditures by job attrition and increased revenues by raising taxes. Mr. Koch’s adminstration also ended the fiscal gimmicks and fraudulent accounting practises the city had engaged in. These decisions led to a balanced budget.
Complete Interview with Former Mayor Ed Koch