Government of New York City

The government of New York City, headquartered at New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan, is organized under the New York City Charter and provides for a mayor-council system. The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The New York City Council is a unicameral body consisting of 51 members, each elected from a geographic district, normally for four-year terms. All elected officials are subject to a two consecutive-term limit.

New York City's government employs approximately 300,000 people, more than any other city in the United States and more than any U.S. state but three: California, Texas, and New York. The city government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services.

New York City consists of five boroughs, each coextensive with one of five counties of New York State: Brooklyn is Kings County, the Bronx is Bronx County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. Each borough also has an elected Borough president, which is a largely ceremonial office. The city is divided between two federal judicial districts. Bronx County and New York County are in the Southern District while Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County are in the Eastern District.

Executive branch

The executive branch of New York City includes the Mayor and many departments, boards, and commissions. The Mayor appoints several deputy mayors to lead important offices in the city's government. The City Record is the official journal published each weekday (except legal holidays) with legal notices from city agencies, and regulations are collected in the Rules of the City of New York.

Mayor

Main article: Mayor of New York City

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the city and has the power to appoint and remove unelected officers. The mayor is directly elected by popular vote for a four-year term. The mayor is also in charge of creating the city's budget through the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget, which is then submitted for approval to the Council.

Mayoral agencies

Main article: List of New York City agencies

Other citywide offices

Along with the mayor, the Public Advocate and the Comptroller are the only three officials in New York City who are elected by all the city's voters.

Public Advocate

Main article: New York City Public Advocate

The Public Advocate is an elected official who helps make sure the government listens to people. They look into problems people have with city services, help solve disagreements between people and the city, and give advice to the mayor about community issues. The Public Advocate is also part of the City Council and is the first person to become mayor if the mayor can no longer serve.

Comptroller

Main article: New York City Comptroller

The Comptroller checks how well city agencies use money and works to make sure the city's finances are managed properly. They watch over the city's budget, review city contracts, and help make sure claims against the city are handled fairly. The Comptroller is the second person in line to become mayor if needed.

Non-mayoral agencies

Main article: List of New York City agencies

There are many other groups and offices in New York City that operate separately from the mayor's office.

Legislative branch

Main article: New York City Council

The New York City Council is in charge of making laws for New York City. It has 51 members, each representing a different area of the city. These members are elected every four years to help decide the rules and laws for the city.

The Council works with the mayor. If the Council passes a bill, the mayor can sign it to make it a law. If the mayor does not agree, the Council can still make it a law if enough members vote for it. The Council also has special groups called committees that look after different parts of the city's work.

Courts

Main article: New York State Unified Court System

New York City has several types of courts to handle different kinds of cases. There are two citywide courts: the Criminal Court and the Civil Court. There are also statewide courts like the Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court, and Family Court. These statewide courts are located in each of New York City's five areas, called boroughs.

The Criminal Court deals with minor offenses and some serious cases at the beginning stages. The Civil Court handles issues like housing problems, small claims up to $5,000, and other civil cases up to $25,000. The Supreme Court deals with major civil cases and serious crimes, while the Family Court handles cases involving families and children. There are also special administrative courts that handle things like parking tickets.

Borough and community government

New York City has five boroughs or counties, which are divided into 59 community districts.

Each borough has an elected borough president who serves a four-year term and can be re-elected once. Borough presidents help with planning, public projects, and talking to city leaders about important issues for their area. They also have some roles in choosing community leaders and giving advice on city projects.

Every community district has a community board made up of volunteers. These boards help decide things like land use and talk about city services in their area, but they do not make laws.

State and county government

District attorneys

Main articles: New York County District Attorney, Bronx County District Attorney, Kings County District Attorney, Queens County District Attorney, Richmond County District Attorney, and Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York

Each of the five counties of New York City chooses a leader called a district attorney every four years. Their job is to handle cases about breaking the law in their county. There is also a special leader for cases about certain types of crimes, who is chosen by the five district attorneys instead of being elected.

Public authorities

Further information: New York state public-benefit corporations

There are many groups that help provide important services in New York City. Libraries, like the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library, help people read and learn. The New York Public Library serves parts of the city too, even though it is not a government group. There are groups that help provide homes for people who do not have much money, and others that run hospitals and clinics.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority manages many ways people move around the city, such as the subway and buses. It also manages trains that go to places outside the city. There is another group that takes care of bridges, tunnels, and airports, working with leaders from both New York and a nearby state.

Political parties

Further information: Elections in New York (state) § Political parties

Rules about political groups in the state say each group must have a main team and can have smaller teams in each county. These smaller teams choose people to run for office, and sometimes people can challenge them to run in a special vote.

Heraldry

The seal of New York City was created a long time ago, in 1686. It has a special Latin phrase that means "The Seal of the City of New York." The design shows symbols of unity between Native Americans and early settlers, with windmill sails to remember the city's time as New Amsterdam. There are also beavers and flour barrels to show early trade goods. An American eagle sits on top, added after the American Revolution. The number "1625" at the bottom marks the city’s Dutch history.

The flag of New York City was made in 1915. It uses blue, white, and orange to honor the Dutch flag from when the city was New Amsterdam. In the middle is a copy of the city's seal without the Latin words.

There are two special versions of the flag. One used by the Mayor adds five stars above the seal to stand for the five parts of the city. The other, used by the Council, adds the word "COUNCIL" below the seal.