Promises to rein in water rates have long been a staple of city politics, and this year is no exception. But Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to give only some New Yorkers a nearly $200 credit isn't going as he may have planned. Still, that isn't keeping the Democrat from trying, especially as his re-election campaign begins. Josh Robin reports.

It was on the taxpayer-funded posters and spelled out before a group of seniors — "$183 per homeowner," Mayor de Blasio said.

De Blasio wants to give New Yorkers a rebate.

"This was righting a wrong from the past," the mayor said. "Everyone deserved this money."

Apparently not everyone, though; it's only for owners of 1-2-and 3-family homes.

Condo and co-op owners are left out, as are landlords, who typically don't bill their tenants separately for water.

"What he did was so blatantly political in order to ingratiate himself with a certain class," said Joe Strasburg of the Rent Stabilization Association.

Strasburg represents landlords, and he's talking about a class of homeowners, including in northeastern Queens where the mayor visited.

It's a spot where de Blasio didn't do that well in the 2013 primary or general election, coincidentally or not.

"The mayor sees that group of homeowners as an important part of his affordable housing program," said Chris Ward, the former environmental protection commissioner.

The financial backstory behind de Blasio's move is complicated, and Ward acknowledges that the targets of the rebate are seen as more reliable voters.

"I think that's probably a fair summary of historical voting patterns in New York," Ward said.

This spring, the landlord group sued and quickly won in court. The state supreme court ruled that state law doesn't give the water board the authority to grant the credit.

The city has appealed, and a decision is expected any day.

In the meantime, in Strasburg and landlords, de Blasio has a bogeyman he can shake a fist at. They dueled in the Daily News this week; de Blasio on Monday, and Strasburg two days later.

De Blasio's take on the group Thursday?

"A bunch of powerful, wealthy landlords, who could afford all the lawyers in the world, sued your city to stop 600,000 people from getting money back."

"He's perceiving himself as a weak candidate in the hope that nobody runs against him, Strasburg said. "And he wants to ingratiate himself with the largest constituency, which is tenants."

If that's the case, this battle only prolongs that, to the mayor's favor.

And if homeowners appreciate de Blasio's rebate attempt, that may be good politics, too, even if he can't deliver.