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 (more…)

Despite being located at a more southerly latitude than Italian Tuscany or the French Riviera, New York has a humid continental climate resulting from prevailing wind patterns that bring cool air from the interior of the North American continent. New York winters are typically cold, but somewhat milder than those of inland cities at a similar latitude in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.

Temperatures below 0 °F (-18 °C) occur about once per decade, but nighttime low temperatures in the 10s and 20s (-12 to -2 °C) are common at the height of winter. Snowfall varies from year to year, usually averaging about 2 feet (60cm) in total. The winters from 2003 to 2006 have had above normal snowfall with over 3 feet(100cm) for each season. Rain is more common than snow in the winter, because the Atlantic Ocean helps keep temperatures warmer than in the interior Northeast. Higher amounts of snow usually occur 25 miles north and west of the city.

Springs in New York are mild and sometimes quite hot, with high temperatures averaging in the 50 °Fs (10 to 15 °C) in late March to the lower 80 °Fs (25 to 30 °C) in early June. But 90 °F days have been recorded as early as mid-April. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures often exceeding 90 °F (32 °C). High temperatures occasionally reach 100 °F (38 °C), usually once or twice a summer, but more in parts of interior New Jersey.

Autumns in New York are comfortable with sunshine and average temperatures in the 50 °Fs (10 to 15 °C). 70 °F days are common through mid-October.

New York City is located at the center of the BosWash megalopolis, 218 miles (350 km) driving distance from Boston and 220 miles (353 km) from Washington, D.C.. The city’s total area is 468.9 square miles (1,214.4 km²), of which 35.31% is water. The city is situated on the three major islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and western Long Island. The Bronx is the only borough that is part of the mainland United States.

New York City’s significance as a trading city results from the superb natural harbor formed by Upper New York Bay, which is surrounded by Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the coast of New Jersey. It is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island in Lower New York Bay.

The Hudson River flows from the Hudson Valley into New York Bay, becoming a tidal estuary that separates the Bronx and Manhattan from New Jersey. The East River, actually a tidal strait, stretches from the Long Island Sound to New York Bay, separating the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River, another tidal strait between the East and Hudson Rivers, separates Manhattan from the Bronx.

The city’s land has been altered considerably by human intervention, with substantial land reclamation along the waterfronts since Dutch colonial times. Reclamation is most notable in Lower Manhattan with modern developments like Battery Park City. Much of the natural variations in topography have been evened out, particularly in Manhattan. One possible meaning for “Manhattan” is “island of hills”; in fact, the island was quite hilly before European settlement.

Environmental issues

Although cities like San Francisco or Portland, Oregon are most commonly associated with urban environmentalism in the United States, New York City’s unique urban footprint and extensive transportation systems make it more sustainable than most American cities. The environmental organization SustainLane ranked New York highest of all U.S. cities with more than 1 million residents in its 2005 US City Rankings, a detailed report on city quality of life combined with indicators of sustainability programs, policies and performance.[1] The organization cited New York’s land use, density, transportation systems, innovative watershed management, and extensive local food and agriculture resources that include 750 community gardens and 64 farmers markets as some of the city’s strongest environmental assets.

New York plays an important role in the green policy agenda because of its size. Environmental groups make large efforts to help shape legislation in New York because they see the strategy as an efficient way to influence national programs. New York City’s economy is larger than Switzerland’s, a size that means the city has potential to set new defacto standards. Manufacturers are also attuned to the latest trends and needs in the city because the market is simply too big to ignore.

Water supply

Many of the city’s environmental assets are related to geography and a long tradition of environmental stewardship in the mountain ranges north of the city. New York’s water supply is fed by a 2,000 square mile watershed in the Catskill Mountains. Because the watershed is in one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the United States, the natural water filtration process remains intact. As a result, New York is one of the few cities in the country with drinking water pure enough not to require processing by water treatment plants.

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The region had been inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans at the time of its discovery by Italian Giovanni da Verrazano. Although Verrazano sailed into New York Harbor, his voyage did not continue upwards and instead he sailed back into the Atlantic. It wasn’t until the voyage of Henry Hudson, an Englishman who was employed by the Dutch monarchy that the area was mapped.

He discovered Manhattan on September 11, 1609, and continued up the river that bears his name, the Hudson River, until he arrived at the site where Albany now stands. The Dutch established New Amsterdam in 1613, which was granted self-government in 1652 under Peter Stuyvesant. The British conquered the city in September, 1664 and renamed it “New York” after the English Duke of York. The Dutch briefly regained it in August 1673, renaming the city “New Orange”, but ceded it permanently in November 1674.

Under British rule the City of New York continued to develop, and while there was growing sentiment in the city for greater political independence, the area was decidedly split in its loyalties during the New York Campaign, a series of major early battles during the American Revolutionary War. The city was under British occupation until the end of the war and was the last port British ships evacuated in 1783.

Lenape and New Netherland: Prehistory:1613-1664

Prehistory in the area began with the geological formation of the peculiar territory of what is today New York City. The area was long inhabited by the Lenape; including such tribes as the Manahattoes, Canarsies and Raritan; Lenape in canoes met Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European explorer to enter New York Harbor, in 1524. European settlement began with the founding of the Dutch fur trading settlement in Lower Manhattan in 1613 later called New Amsterdam (Nieuw Amsterdam) in the southern tip of Manhattan in 1624. Later in 1626, Peter Minuit established a long tradition of shrewd real estate investing when he purchased Manhattan Island and Staten Island from Algonquin tribesmen in exchange for trade goods (legend, now long disproved, has it that the island was purchased for $24 worth of glass beads). Minuit’s settlement was also a haven for Huguenots seeking religious liberty.

In 1640, Peter Stuyvesant was appointed governor, and ruled as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. He curtailed the city’s religious freedoms and closed all of the city’s taverns. The colony was granted self-government in 1652. In 1664, the British conquered the area and renamed it New York. The Dutch regained it in August 1673, renaming the city “New Orange”, then ceded New Netherland permanently to the English in November 1674.

British and Revolution: 1665-1783

This period began with the establishment of British rule over formerly Dutch New Amsterdam and New Netherland. As the newly renamed City of New York and surrounding areas developed, there was a growing independent feeling among some, but the area was decidedly split in its loyalties. The site of modern New York City was the theatre of the New York Campaign, a series of major battles in the early American Revolutionary War. New York was greatly damaged twice by fires of dubious origin during the British occupation that followed the Battle of Brooklyn at the start of the American Revolutionary War and which lasted until November 25, 1783. George Washington returned to the city that same November 25th as the last British forces left the United States. For about a century afterward the day was widely celebrated locally as “Evacuation Day”. The Continental Congress met in New York City under the Articles of Confederation.

Federal and early American: 1784-1854

New York City became the temporary capital of the newly formed United States on September 13, 1788 under the U.S. Constitutional Convention. On April 30, 1789 the first President of the United States, George Washington, was inaugurated at Federal Hall on Wall Street. New York City remained the capital of the U.S. until 1790, when the honor was transferred to Philadelphia. New York grew as an economic center with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, and Tammany Hall began to grow in influence with the support of many of the immigrant Irish, culminated in the election of the first Tammany mayor, Fernando Wood, in 1854.

Tammany and Consolidation: 1855-1897

This period started with the inauguration in 1855 of Fernando Wood as the first mayor from Tammany Hall, an institution that would dominate the city throughout this period. During the 19th century, the city was transformed by immigration, a visionary development proposal called the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811, which expanded the city street grid to encompass all of Manhattan, and the opening of the Erie Canal, which connected the Atlantic port to the vast agricultural markets of the Mid-western United States and Canada in 1819. By 1835, New York City had surpassed Philadelphia as the largest city in the United States. Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall, a Democratic Party political machine. Public-minded members of the old merchant aristocracy pressed for a Central Park, which was opened to a design competition in 1857: it was the first landscape park in an American city.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the city’s strong commercial ties to the South, its growing immigrant population, and anger about conscription led to divided sympathy for both the Union and Confederacy, culminating in the Draft Riots of 1863, the worst civil unrest in American history. After the Civil War, the rate of immigration from Europe grew steeply, and New York became the first stop for millions seeking a new and better life in the United States, a role acknowledged by the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.

Early 20th century: 1898-1945

This period began with the formation of the consolidated city of the five boroughs in 1898. Manhattan and the Bronx, though still one county, were established as two separate boroughs and joined together with three other boroughs created from parts of adjacent counties to form the new municipal government originally called “Greater New York”. The Borough of Brooklyn incorporated the independent City of Brooklyn, recently joined to Manhattan by the Brooklyn Bridge, and several municipalities in eastern Kings County, New York; the Borough of Queens was created from western Queens County (with the remnant established as Nassau County in 1899); and The Borough of Staten Island contained all of Richmond County. All municipal (county, town and city) governments contained within the boroughs were abolished. In 1914, the New York State Legislature created Bronx county, making five counties coterminous with the five boroughs.

On June 15, 1904 over 1,000 people, mostly German Immigrants, were killed when the steamship General Slocum caught fire and burned on North Brother Island, in the East River; and on March 25, 1911 the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Greenwich Village took the lives of 146 female garment workers, which would eventually lead to great advancements in the city’s fire department, building codes, and workplace regulations.

A series of new transportation links, most notably the New York City Subway, first opened 1904, helped bind the new city together. The height of European immigration brought social upheaval. Later, in the 1920s, the city saw the influx of African Americans as part of the Great Migration from the American South, and the Harlem Renaissance, part of a larger boom time in the Prohibition era that saw dueling skyscrapers in the skyline. The city suffered during the Great Depression, which saw the election of Republican reformer Fiorello LaGuardia and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance. The city also played a significant part in World War II.
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New York City, officially the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States and the most densely populated major city in North America. The city is a center for international finance, fashion, entertainment and culture, and is widely considered to be one of the world’s major global cities with an extraordinary collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations and financial markets. It is also home to the headquarters of the United Nations.

Located in the state of New York, New York City has a population of 8.1 million within an area of 321 square miles (approximately 830 km²). The New York Metropolitan Area has a population of about 17 million, which makes it one of the largest urban areas in the world. The city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each of these boroughs, except for Staten Island, is home to at least a million people and would each be among the nation’s largest cities if considered independently.

Nicknamed “the Big Apple”, the city attracts large numbers of immigrants, with over a third of its population foreign born. Moreover, it attracts people from all over the United States, who come for its culture, energy, cosmopolitanism, and economic opportunity. At present, the city has the lowest crime rate among American cities with one million residents or more.

New York has always been a city of the world and its multinational, multicultural
inhabitants (who speak over 80 languages) infuse its concrete canyons with a buzz that is every bit as energising and electrifying as that depicted in countless films and TV programs. With over 20,000 eclectic restaurants, 150 world-class museums and more than 10,000 stores brimming with brand names and bargains from across the globe, New York really does have something for everyone. (more…)