Government of New York City
Government of New York City
New York City has been a metropolitan municipality with a “strong” mayor-council form of government since its consolidation in 1898. The mayor is elected to a four year term while councilors are elected to two year terms. The New York City Council is a unicameral body consisting of 51 Council members whose districts are defined by geographic population boundaries. Each councilor represents approximately 157,000 people. The mayor and councilors are subject to eight year term limits. The most recent election was held in 2005.
The city has historically elected Democratic mayoral candidates. The current and previous mayor, however, are pro-choice Republicans considerably to the left of their national counterparts. Councilors are elected under specific issues and are usually well-known. Labor politics are important. Housing and economic development are the most controversial topics, with an ongoing debate over the proposed Brooklyn Nets Arena.
The Working Families Party, affiliated with the labor movement and progressive community activists, is an important force in city politics. The Democratic Party holds the majority of public offices. Party platforms are centered on affordable housing, education and economic development. The city’s political demographics are liberal and Democratic. 87% of registered voters in the city are Democrats. This is in contrast to New York state, which is less liberal.
The city has a strong imbalance of payments with the Federal and state governments. New York City receives 83 cents in services for every $1 it sends to Washington in taxes (or annually sends $11.4 billion more to Washington than it receives back). The city also sends an additional $11 billion more each year to the state of New York than it receives back.
The current mayor is Michael Bloomberg, a former Democrat who switched his party affiliation to Republican for his first mayoral campaign and was re-elected in 2005 with 59% of the vote. He is known for taking control of the city’s education system from the state, rezoning and economic development, fiscal management, and banning smoking in bars and restaurants. He is also known for his strong support of strict gun control laws, abortion rights, and aggressive public health policy.
New York City’s political geography is unusual. It is made up of five individual counties, each coterminous with a borough: Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, Brooklyn is Kings County, The Bronx is Bronx County and Staten Island is Richmond County. In 1898, when New York City was consolidated into its present form, all previous town and county governments within it were abolished in favor of the present five boroughs and unified, centralized city government.
The executive branch of New York City is headed by the Mayor, who is elected by direct popular vote. The Mayor of New York City appoints several Deputy Mayors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. Deputy Mayors report directly to the Mayor. They are: First Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs, Deputy Mayor for Governmental Affairs, Deputy Mayor for Administration, Deputy Mayor for Education and Development.
Legislative power in New York City is vested in the City Council, which is divided into committees which have oversight of various functions of the city government. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor, who may sign it into law. If the mayor vetoes the bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote.
Unlike the rest of New York State, New York City does not have typical county courts. Instead, there is a single Civil Court, with a presence in each borough and city-wide jurisdiction, and a Criminal Court for each New York City county which handles lesser criminal offenses and domestic violence cases, a responsibility shared with the Family Court. Unlike other counties in New York, judges for Family Courts in New York City are appointed for ten year terms by the mayor, instead of being elected.
Executive Branch
The executive branch of New York City is responsible for all city services, police and fire protection, enforcement of all city and state laws within the city, prosecution of crimes, and administration of public property and all public agencies.
The Mayor
The executive branch is headed by the Mayor of New York City, who is elected by direct popular vote by the people. The current mayor is Michael Bloomberg, a Republican. Though he was a lifelong Democrat, it’s said he chose to run on the Republican ticket to avoid the contentious Democratic primary.
Deputy Mayors
The Mayor of New York City appoints several Deputy Mayors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. Deputy Mayors report directly to the Mayor. They are:
First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris
The First Deputy Mayor advises the Mayor on Citywide administrative, operational and policy matters. The First Deputy Mayor oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Design and Construction, Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol, as well as all aspects of the Mayor’s Office, including the Offices of Appointments, Correspondence, Citywide Services, and Fiscal and Administrative Management.
The First Deputy Mayor also organizes and monitors City-sponsored events, and serves as liaison with the Art Commission, Gracie Mansion Conservancy, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, Mayor’s Volunteer Center, Commission on Women’s Issues, libraries, museums, performing arts organizations, gardens and zoos. In the Mayor’s absence, the First Deputy Mayor is delegated the authority to act on the Mayor’s behalf.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff
The Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Buildings, Department of City Planning, the Economic Development Corporation, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, Department of Finance, Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Office of Operations, Department of Small Business Services, and the Department of Transportation.
The Deputy Mayor also serves as a liaison with city, state and federal agencies responsible for the City’s economic development and infrastructure including the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Deputy Mayor also serves as Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Commission on Construction Opportunity.
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs
The Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department for the Aging, Administration for Children’s Services, Commission for Economic Opportunity, Family Services Coordinator, Health Insurance Access Program, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Department of Homeless Services, Human Resources Administration/ Department of Social Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Correction and Department of Probation. The Deputy Mayor maintains liaison with the Health and Hospitals Corporations and the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council.
Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs Carol A. Robles-Roman
The Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs oversees and coordinates the operations of the Coordinator of Administrative Justice, Office to Combat Domestic Violence, Commission on Human Rights, Office of Immigrant Affairs, Office for People with Disabilities, and the Office of Veterans Affairs. The Deputy Mayor serves as the liaison with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, Civilian Complaint Review Board, Commission to Combat Police Corruption, Conflicts of Interest Board, Equal Employment Practices Commission, and Voter Assistance Commission. The Counsel to the Mayor serves as the Mayor’s legal advisor on matters involving the City of New York. The Counsel advises on legal and policy issues affecting the implementation of Mayoral initiatives, programs and operations and serves as the liaison with the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary. (Serves as Records Access Appeals Officer.)
Deputy Mayor for Governmental Affairs Kevin Sheekey
The Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs directs the City’s relations with federal, state and local governing entities and serves as the Mayor’s chief liaison with elected officials. The Deputy Mayor oversees and coordinates the operations of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of City Legislative Affairs, Office of Federal Affairs, Office of State Legislative Affairs, and the Department of Records and Information Services. The Deputy Mayor is also the liaison to the Board of Elections, Campaign Finance Board, and Election Modernization Task Force.
Deputy Mayor for Administration Edward Skyler
The Deputy Mayor for Administration assists the Mayor in managing the Police Department, Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Labor Relations and the Law Department. The Deputy Mayor oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Sanitation, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Business Integrity Commission, Office of Contract Services, Criminal Justice Coordinator, Office of Midtown Enforcement, the Communications Director and Press Office, including the Speechwriting, Photography and Research Units. The Deputy Mayor serves as the liaison with the City’s five pension systems and governmental bodies dealing with public finance, procurement, and franchises and concessions.
Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott
The Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development, as well as maintains liaison with and reviews the activities of the New York City School Construction Authority, City University of New York, City University Construction Fund and the New York City Housing Authority. The Deputy Mayor is also responsible for maintaining liaison with community-based organizations citywide and coordinating policies concerning youth programs and adult education. The Deputy Mayor serves as Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Commission for Construction Opportunity.
Legislative
New York City’s legislative power is vested in the New York City Council, a unicameral body consisting of 51 Council members, each representing a district of approximately 157,000 people. Council members are elected every four years, except for two consecutive two year terms every twenty years (starting in 2001 and 2003 and again in 2021 and 2023). The head of the City Council is called the Speaker, and is currently Christine Quinn, a Democrat.
Like most legislative bodies, the City Council has several committees with legislative oversight over various categories of legislation. Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing committees, listed below, meet at least once per month. The Speaker of the Council, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader are all ex officio members of every committee.
City Council Standing Committees
Aging
Civil Rights
Civil Service and Labor
Community Development (Select Committee)
Consumer Affairs
Contracts
Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations
Economic Development
Education
Environmental Protection
Finance
Fire and Criminal Justice Services
General Welfare
Governmental Operations
Health
Higher Education
Housing and Buildings
Immigration
Juvenile Justice
Land Use
Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services
Oversight and Investigations
Parks and Recreation
Public Safety
Rules, Privileges and Elections
Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
Small Business
Standards and Ethics
State and Federal Legislation
Technology in Government
Transportation
Veterans
Waterfronts
Women’s Issues
Youth Services
City Council Subcommittees
Drug Abuse
Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses
Libraries
Planning, Dispositions and Concessions
Public Housing
Senior Centers
Zoning and Franchises
Judicial
The court system of New York City differs from that of the courts of other counties in New York State. Rather than County Courts, New York City has a special New York City Civil Court, which functions much like the civil jurisdiction of the County Court in other counties of New York State. The difference is the reach of the New York City Civil Court in each county; the court’s jurisdiction is extended to the other counties of New York City so that a resident of one county does not have to use the Civil Court of another county. The New York City Civil Court generally has jurisdiction of controversies up to $25,000 and also supervise small claims and housing cases.
Each county in New York City also has a Criminal Court that handles lesser criminal cases and family related domestic violence offenses (a shared jurisdiction with Family Court). Unlike other New York State counties, Family Court judges in New York City are not elected, but appointed for terms of ten years by the Mayor.
Like all other counties, each New York City county has a sitting Supreme Court. In New York City, Supreme Court handles criminal cases on indictment, which in other counties of the state are handled by the County Court. As in the rest of the state, Supreme Court also handles larger civil cases. Grand juries sit in each of the counties as well.
Manhattan and the Bronx are in the first appellate department of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The First Department sits at the Court House on Madison Avenue and 25th Street. Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island (as well as the rest of Long Island and Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and Orange County) being in the second appellate department. The Second Department sits in Brooklyn at the Court House on Pierrepont Street and Morgan Place.
The borough of Brooklyn is also home to the Red Hook Community Justice Center, which opened in 2000 as the nation’s first multi-jurisdictional community court which was built with city, state, and federal assistance in an attempt to alleviate the chronic lack of access to justice services in the isolated Red Hook area in Brooklyn. The court combines family court, civil and housing court and minor criminal court functions and takes a community development approach to justice through such programs as the Youth Court where teenagers are trained and act as mediators to help their peers resolve disputes.
Other Elected Officials
In addition to the mayor, residents elect two other officials by city-wide vote:
The Public Advocate
The Public Advocate is a directly elected executive official and heads the Office of the Public Advocate. The Public Advocate’s primary responsibility is to ease public relations with the government, investigate complaints regarding city agencies, mediate disputes between city agencies and citizens, serve as the city’s ombudsman and advise the mayor on community relations. The Public Advocate serves as the presiding officer of the New York City Council and is an ex-officio member of all Council committees. The Public Advocate is permitted to introduce legislation in the Council. The current Public Advocate is Betsy Gotbaum, a Democrat. She was elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005. Term limits prevent her from seeking a third term in 2009
Comptroller
The Comptroller is the city’s chief financial officer. In addition to managing the city’s $80 billion pension fund, the Comptroller advises the mayor and the City Council on all financial matters, fiscal policy and financial transactions. The Office of the Comptroller is empowered with limited investigational power over all city expenditures and finance, and is responsible for auditing the finances of all city agencies. The Comptroller is a member of the Board of all city pension funds, and is responsible for managing the assets of the pension funds. The Comptroller also has responsibility for issuing and marketing all city bonds. The current Comptroller, elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005, is William C. Thompson, Jr., a Democrat. Term limits prevent him from seeking reelection in 2009.
Boroughs
The five boroughs are coterminous with their respective counties, but the counties do not have actual county governments. Each borough elects a Borough President, but under the current city charter, the Borough President’s powers are limited-he or she has a small discretionary budget to spend on projects within the borough. (The last significant power of the borough presidents-to appoint a member of the Board of Education -was abolished, with the board, on June 30, 2002.) Currently, borough presidents serve as ex officio members of various boards and committees.
Borough Presidents
The Borough Presidents are elected by direct popular vote from each of New York City’s five boroughs (see below). Though they were powerful in the past, today, borough presidents have little influence. The borough presidents are seen mainly as ceremonial leaders of their boroughs and borough cheerleaders. The last major responsibility of the borough presidents was their power to appoint a member of the Board of Education, which was abolished in 2002. The two major remaining appointments of the Borough President, is one member of the city Planning Commission and one member of the Panel for Educational Policy.
Currently, their responsibility is to advise the mayor on issues relating to each borough, to comment on all land use items in their borough, to advocate borough needs in the annual municipal budget process, to administer a small discretionary budget for projects within each borough, to make certain political appointments for intra-borough offices, to appoint Community Boards (see below), chair the Borough Boards (see below) and to sit as ex officio members on various other boards and committees. Each of the borough presidents has certain pet projects they push while in office. The current Borough Presidents are:
Bronx: Adolfo Carrion Jr., a Democrat,
Brooklyn: Marty Markowitz, a Democrat
Manhattan: Scott Stringer, a Democrat
Queens: Helen Marshall, a Democrat
Staten Island: James P. Molinaro, a Republican
Borough Boards
Each Borough has a Borough Board consisting of the Borough President, the City Council members from the borough, and the chair of each of the borough’s Community Boards. The Borough Boards meet monthly to serve the needs of the local communities. They may hold public hearings, make inquiries into the performance of public services, and make recommendations about city owned land use and sales within the borough.
Community Boards
New York City is divided into 59 administrative districts, each served by a Community Board. Community Boards are local representative bodies that serve as advocates for New York City residents and communities. Each Board has up to 50 voting members, with one half of the membership appointed each year for two-year terms; there are no term limits. Additionally, all city council members whose council districts cover part of a community district are ex-officio Board members and may participate in all Board activities. However, council members may not vote on Board issues.
Borough Presidents appoint the voting Community Board members, with half of the appointees nominated by council members representing the district. Broadly assigned by the city charter to “Consider the needs of the district which it serves,” the Boards have been limited in their ability by ineffective local communication channels, minuscule budgets and archaic technology. As a result, many residents have concluded that they have little impact on the operation of their communities or their lives. The BeyondVoting Wiki and the Community-Based Planning Task Force have begun to address the limitations. See Community Board 3, Queens’ website and Livable Neighborhoods Report to learn more about a typical Board’s operation and how these efforts hope to make improvements in the future.
The Seal of New York City
The seal of the City of New York, adopted in an earlier form in 1686, bears the legend SIGILUM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACUM which means simply “The Seal of the City of New York”: Eboracum was the Roman name for York, the titular seat of James II as Duke of York. The two supporters represent the unity between native American and colonist, the four windmill sails recall the city’s Dutch history as New Amsterdam, and the beavers and flour barrels the city’s earliest trade goods (see History of New York City). The crest over the seal is the American eagle added after the Revolution and at the bottom the date, 1625, of the founding of the city.