Filed Under: Local | New York City

City HallNEW YORK CITY GOVERNMENT www.nyc.gov New York City has an independently elected Mayor and a 51-member City Council composed of representatives from geographical election districts. The City Charter is much like the Constitution, spelling out the responsibilities and balance of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches as well as elected officials and agencies. City Council members and the Mayor may serve for a maximum of two consecutive four year terms of office (or two two-year terms and a four year term for the Council), according to the City's rule on term limits. The City's Administrative Code contains all local laws passed by the City Council after open review at public hearings. City agencies also pass Rules and Regulations limited to a particular agency's authority. They often deal with very limited matters, such as the Department of Environmental Protection's water conservation mandate forbidding the watering of lawns or sidewalks between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Rules of the City of New York Title 15, Chapter 20.) For a complete listing of all of city government and agency personnel, consult the Green Book, dubbed the "official directory of the City of New York." The Green Book is for sale at the CityStore, 1 Centre Street in Manhattan (212-669-8246). THE MAYOR'S OFFICE www.nyc.gov/html/om Office of the Mayor, City Hall, New York, NY 10007 (212) 788-3000 The Mayor is the City's chief executive, who defines environmental policy through the annual budget he submits to council and via the commissioners whom s/he appoints to City agencies. The actions of many of these agencies, for example, the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Sanitation and Department of Transportation, have a profound and lasting impact on the City's environmental life. The budget defines the Mayor’s priorities, illustrated by allocations for programs and agencies. The Mayor also appoints seven of the thirteen members of the influential City Planning Commission, which oversees the environmental review process and land use in the City. The Mayor can sign into law or veto any bill passed by the City Council and is elected to a four-year term. State law also permits the Mayor to propose City Charter amendments via a Charter Review Commission. Proposed amendments are included on the ballot at a special or general election. Office of Environmental Coordination 100 Gold Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10003 (212) 788-2937/2924 The Office establishes environmental review policy and provides assistance to city agencies in fulfilling their environmental review responsibilities. It also assists in the coordination of other environmental policies and leads the City's brownfield initiative, to oversee the cleanup and redevelopment of vacant industrial properties owned by or within the City. Community Assistance Unit www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/home/home.shtml 51 Chambers Street, 6th floor, New York 10007 (212) 788-7418 The CAU handles a variety of projects, including: providing liaisons to each Borough and Community Board; hosting Mayoral Town Hall meetings; issuing permits for street fairs and other street activities; and overseeing an anti-graffiti program. Finally, its Emergency Unit is on the scene in communities at most emergency situations. Borough liaisons arrange meetings for Community Boards and community groups with City officials to resolve outstanding issues. Community Board liaisons and CAU's Community Board Services Unit provide assistance to Boards, as well as training to Board members. The Mayor's Paint Program supplies community groups with paint to combat graffiti; for details call (212) 788-7421.To report graffiti vandalism in progress, call the NYPD Graffiti Hotline at (212) 374-5914. Council on the Environment of New York City www.cenyc.org 51 Chambers Street, Rm 228, New York, NY 10007 (212) 788-7900 A privately-funded citizens' organization, whose members are appointed by the Mayor, the Council promotes environmental awareness among New Yorkers and develops practical solutions to environmental problems through its Environmental Education Program, which trains students to organize environmental improvement projects; Open Space Greening Program, which lends technical and material assistance to community-sponsored garden projects; Waste Prevention and Recycling Service, which promotes waste prevention in offices; and the beloved Greenmarket Program, which brings fresh farm produce to 24 locations citywide and is the largest in the country. PUBLIC ADVOCATE www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov 1 Centre St, 15th floor North, New York, NY 10007 (212) 669-7200 As City liaison between government and the people, the Public Advocate reviews and investigates citizens' complaints about City services, evaluates whether City agencies are responsive to the public, and works to resolve problems citizens have with city agencies. S/he presides at meetings of the City Council, can participate in Council discussions, is an ex officio member of all its committees (but votes only in a tie), and can sponsor local legislation. The Public Advocate is elected to a four-year term. THE CITY COMPTROLLER www.comptroller.nyc.gov 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007-2341 (212) 669-3500 As chief financial officer for the City, s/he monitors every aspect of the City's finances and issues its annual financial statement. The comptroller also must review and comment on the City’s budget and four-year financial plan. S/he is also the City's chief auditor, investigating and publicly reporting on the virtues and/or shortcomings of departmental programs, thereby, supporting and/or jeopardizing their funding and survival. In the past, the Comptroller has been critical of the Department of Environmental Protection's Toilet Rebate Program, stating that although well-intentioned, the program was too costly and didn't achieve its full water-saving potential. The Comptroller has the authority to approve or reject bonds, including those issued by the Water Finance Authority, which raises money for capital projects regarding drinking water and sewer systems. S/he is also custodian and investment advisor to the City's five pension funds made up of companies in which the City has invested billions of tax dollars. The Comptroller may intervene if a company exhibits chronic environmental irresponsibility. S/he is elected to a four-year term. THE CITY COUNCIL www.nyccouncil.info City Hall, New York, NY 10007 (212) 788-7100 City Council is an evolving body of legislators who oversee the growth and functioning of New York City. The 1989 Charter revisions grew the Council from 35 to today's 51 seats. Each member, who must be a resident of his or her district, represents about 140,000 people and serves a four-year term (with periodic two-year terms to account for redistricting). Although technically a part time job, most Council members work full time as such, earning an annual salary of $90,500. The Council is overwhelmingly Democratic. Rules adopted in 1993 regarding term limits came into effect in 2001. The rule allows City Council members to serve for only two consecutive four year terms of office. Additionally, new campaign finance laws that provide generally for a four to one match of any campaign contribution from a city resident have prompted many to run for office who would not have otherwise had the funding to do so. For a good overview of the Council contact Citizens Union (see Citywide Group listings). The Council oversees the workings of City agencies, approves the annual budget, and just as importantly, has decision-making power over zoning and land use issues. Overall, the Council's authority is limited since: it must share power with the Mayor (who prepares the budget, has veto power and negotiates union contracts); it cannot pass local laws which impose taxes unless authorized by state legislation; because state laws supersede local ones. In the past, lobbying on the state level has been minimal. If the Legislature is considering a bill that will directly affect the City, it will usually ask for a "home rule message" before proceeding. City organizations or individuals lobbying in Albany should not forget to lobby the Council and Mayor to support their bill. Although the Council's oversight and investigative powers are significant, many believe they have been underutilized. Some point to the Mayor's office as the primary impediment to better oversight; an uncooperative Mayor can make gaining crucial information all the more difficult. Individual Council members' primary role is to secure services for their constituents–the people of their districts. Complaints about city policy, agency actions, services or other similar matters should be directed to one's City Council member. The Council meets year-round. While the budget process can take considerable time until its passage in June (see below), the Council may take up issues for legislation at any time. "Stated meetings" of the entire Council are held twice a month at City Hall. The Public Advocate may preside at stated meetings, and votes in the case of a tie. Council hearing schedules are available online or by calling 212-788-7127, which on Friday afternoon provides a schedule of the following week. Advocates complain that hearing schedules are often made on extremely short notice and are too often changed at the last minute at Council members' request, making organizing public attendance difficult. Council power is concentrated with the Majority Leader, better known as the Council Speaker, who is elected by a majority of the members. There is also a Minority Leader, elected by members of the minority party (Republican). Current rules allow the Speaker to greatly influence committee assignments and control chair assignments, which include an additional stipend. Those who buck the Speaker may lose choice committee positions and suffer other "punishments." The Speaker also controls what legislation will come to the floor for a vote. Legislation that lacks support of the Speaker typically will not become law. Committees do the work of legislation and oversight. Council members serve on at least three committees, which meet at least once a month. The Rules, Privileges and Elections committee is charged with general committee assignments, which are voted on by the full Council. The two most important Council committees are Land Use and Finance since the Council's most important functions revolve around land use and the budget. There are a few subcommittees, task forces and select committees, formed on an ad-hoc basis.