The New York City Law Department , also known as the Office of the Corporation Counsel , is the department of the government of New York City responsible for most of the city's legal affairs. The department is headed by the Corporation Counsel , most recently Sylvia Hinds-Radix, the 81st official to hold this position, who resigned on June 1, 2024.
32-723: The Law Department represents the mayor , city agencies, and city officials in all civil litigation , in juvenile delinquency proceedings in Family Court , and in prosecutions in the New York City Criminal Court under the New York City Administrative Code . Among the department's other duties are drafting contracts , leases , municipal bond issues, and other legal documents for the city; reviewing local and state legislation ; and providing legal advice to city officials on
64-702: A fiscally responsible and balanced budget. The Budget Director also serves ex officio on various boards, including the New York City Municipal Water Authority, which issues bonds for the capital plan of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Transitional Finance Authority, and TSASC, Inc., a local development corporation whose debt is secured by tobacco settlement revenues. Both issue bonds to finance
96-746: A separate budget and efficiency staff was set up in the Office of the Commissioners of Accounts. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment also set up three agencies to assist in the preparation of the budget - the Bureau of Standards (later the Bureau of Personnel Service), the Bureau of Contract Supervision, and the Committee on Education. All of these agencies were abolished in 1918 and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment's examiners, who were transferred to
128-631: A separate process for the mayor's removal without the involvement of the governor: a five-member "Inability Committee" is formed composed of the city's corporation counsel (head of the New York City Law Department ), the speaker of the New York City Council, a deputy mayor (the mayor gets to choose which one), the New York City comptroller , and the longest-serving borough president ; by a four-fifths vote,
160-516: A special election. The New York City mayoralty has become known as the "second toughest job in America." It has been observed that politicians are rarely elected to any higher office after serving as mayor of New York City; the last mayor who later achieved higher office was John T. Hoffman , who became governor of New York in 1869. Former mayor Ed Koch said that the post was jinxed due to divine intervention, whereas Michael Bloomberg has called
192-866: A staff of five, to be known as the Law Department. Later, the Corporation Counsel began being appointed by the Mayor of New York City, as is still the case today. Among the better-known cases that the department has litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court are Goldberg v. Kelly , Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City , Ward v. Rock Against Racism , Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency , Permanent Mission of India v. City of New York , and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York . The department also prepares amicus curiae briefs in many major court cases. The following individuals have led
224-754: A wide variety of issues. The New York City Charter , the New York City Administrative Code , and the Rules of the City of New York are published online by American Legal Publishing Corporation under contract with the Law Department. The department's regulations are compiled in title 46 of the Rules . The origins of the Law Department lie in the English office of the Recorder . After
256-466: Is Eric Adams , who was elected on November 2, 2021, and took office shortly after midnight on January 1, 2022. In 1665, Governor Richard Nicolls appointed Thomas Willett as the first mayor of New York. For 156 years, the mayor was appointed and had limited power. Between 1783 and 1821 the mayor was appointed by the Council of Appointment in which the state's governor had the loudest voice. In 1821
288-474: Is an ex-officio board member of the following organizations: According to the New York City Charter , the governor of New York has the power to remove the mayor from office in response to allegations of misconduct, but the governor must hear the mayor's defense of the allegations before doing so. The governor can suspend the mayor for 30 days while considering the allegations. In 2024, it
320-418: Is open to the public and serves as a small museum. The mayor is entitled to a salary of $ 258,750 a year. Michael Bloomberg , mayor of the city from 2002 to 2013 and one of the richest people in the world, declined the salary and instead was paid $ 1 yearly . In 2000, direct control of the city's public school system was transferred to the mayor's office. Thereafter, in 2003, the reorganization established
352-554: Is the New York City government 's chief financial agency, organized as part of the New York City Mayor's office . OMB staff, under the direction of the Mayor and the Budget Director, assemble and oversee the expense, revenue, and capital budgets for the city. The City of New York funds the activities of approximately 70 agencies with more than 300,000 full-time and full-time equivalent employees. OMB evaluates
SECTION 10
#1732771792082384-593: The New York City Department of Education . Tammany Hall, which evolved from an organization of craftsmen into a Democratic political machine, was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789. It became the main local political machine of the Democratic Party and played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics. The organization gained control of Democratic Party nominations in
416-764: The United States at $ 95.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2021 (as of the City's January 2021 Financial Plan). By 1788, the Treasurer of the City prepared the budget, and in 1830 this duty fell to the Comptroller . In 1853, a Board of Commissioners was established comprising the Mayor, the Comptroller and the Presidents of the Board of Alderman and the Board of Assistants, to pass on the appropriations of
448-596: The United States , totaling $ 100.7 billion in fiscal year 2021. The city employs 325,000 people, spends about $ 21 billion to educate more than 1.1 million students (the largest public school system in the United States), and levies $ 27 billion in taxes. It receives $ 14 billion from the state and federal governments. The mayor's office is located in New York City Hall ; it has jurisdiction over all five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan , Brooklyn ,
480-964: The 1980s and 1990s, mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani appeared on Saturday Night Live on several occasions, sometimes mocking themselves in sketches. Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have both appeared, as themselves in their mayoral capacities, on episodes of Law & Order . Giuliani also appeared as himself in an episode of Seinfeld , titled " The Non-Fat Yogurt ". Giuliani has made cameos in films such as The Out-of-Towners and Anger Management . Bloomberg has appeared on 30 Rock , Gossip Girl , Curb Your Enthusiasm and Horace and Pete . DCP City Planning CB Community boards BP Borough president CPC City Planning Commission CC City Council Mayor NYC Mayor New York City Mayor%27s Office of Management and Budget The New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ), formerly New York City Office of Management and Budget ,
512-584: The Alms House Department and the Board of Education before such appropriations should be submitted to the Board of Supervisors. This lasted until 1871, when the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was established and charged with the duty of apportioning the revenue resulting from tax assessments on property valuation. In 1881, the Commissioners of Accounts prepared an annual statement of expenditures of all departments for use in budgeting. In 1914,
544-536: The Bronx , Staten Island and Queens . The mayor appoints numerous officials, including deputy mayors and the commissioners who head city agencies and departments. The mayor's regulations are compiled in title 43 of the New York City Rules . According to current law, the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office but may run again after a four-year break. The limit on consecutive terms
576-677: The City fell under British control following the Third Anglo-Dutch War , New York's Governor Thomas Dongan created the Office of Recorder of New York City in 1683 to serve as legal and political counsel to the City Government. After the American Revolution , New York City continued to grow, and during the 19th century, the City Council began hiring private attorneys to do the internal legal work of
608-492: The City of New York , is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor 's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City. The budget, overseen by New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget , is the largest municipal budget in
640-459: The City. When this arrangement proved unsatisfactory, due to the chaos of shifting the city's caseload between various outside counsels, the City Charter was amended in 1849 to create the Office of the Corporation Counsel (so named because New York City is a municipal corporation ). The revision established an independently elected chief executive officer known as the Corporation Counsel, and
672-544: The Common Council, which included elected members, gained the authority to choose the mayor. An amendment to the New York State Constitution in 1834 provided for the direct popular election of the mayor. Cornelius W. Lawrence , a Democrat , was elected that year. Gracie Mansion has been the official residence of the mayor since Fiorello La Guardia 's administration in 1942. Its main floor
SECTION 20
#1732771792082704-484: The Law Department as Corporation Counsel: The Law Department has 16 legal divisions and 5 support divisions. As of 2023, the department employs 850 lawyers and 750 support professionals in 22 offices located in all five boroughs , and an auxiliary office in Kingston, New York . The legal divisions are: The support divisions are: Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City , officially mayor of
736-525: The city government. The powers and duties, and even the number of deputy mayors, are not defined by the City Charter. The post was created by Fiorello La Guardia (who appointed Grover Whalen as deputy mayor) to handle ceremonial events that the mayor was too busy to attend. Since then, deputy mayors have been appointed with their areas of responsibility defined by the appointing mayor. There are currently five deputy mayors, all of whom report directly to
768-524: The committee can refer allegations of misconduct or incapacity to the City Council, who can then by a two-thirds vote permanently remove the mayor from office, or temporarily suspend the mayor. This process has never been used. In the event the mayor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the order of succession is the public advocate of the City of New York , then the comptroller of the City of New York . The successor becomes interim mayor pending
800-409: The cost-effectiveness of city services and proposals, both from the agencies and New York City Council . OMB employs economists to provide forecasts on city, state, nation, and world economies. OMB also manages the city's capital financing programs through the issuing of bonds, and conducts legal reviews of capital projects financed with bond proceeds. New York City has the largest municipal budget in
832-502: The mayor. The majority of agency commissioners and department heads report to one of the deputy mayors, giving the role a great deal of power within a mayoral administration. Deputy mayors do not have any right to succeed to the mayoralty in the case of vacancy or incapacity of the mayor. Under Eric Adams "The mayor has the power to appoint and remove the commissioners of more than 40 city agencies and members of City boards and commissions." These include: The mayor of New York City
864-518: The secretary's office at that time, later became the nucleus of the Bureau of the Budget. In 1924, the position of Director of Budget was created as part of the Mayor's Office by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. In 1933 The Bureau of the Budget was established by Local Law 11 with the Director of the Budget at its head. In 1976, the Bureau was renamed the Office of Management and Budget, and
896-422: The state and city in 1861, and played a major role in New York City politics into the 1960s and was a dominant player from the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854 through the era of Robert Wagner (1954–1965). Its last political leader was an African American man named J. Raymond Jones . The mayor of New York City may appoint several deputy mayors to help oversee major offices within the executive branch of
928-520: The supposed curse "a statistical fluke." Local tabloid newspapers often refer to the mayor as "Hizzoner", a corruption of the honorific style His Honor . Spin City , a 1990s TV sitcom , starred Michael J. Fox as a deputy mayor of New York under Barry Bostwick 's fictional Mayor Randall Winston. Several mayors have appeared in television and movies, as well as on Broadway , most notably in The Will Rogers Follies . In
960-542: Was changed from two to three on October 23, 2008, when the New York City Council voted 29–22 in favor of passing the term limit extension into law. However, in 2010, a referendum reverting the limit to two terms passed overwhelmingly. The position of mayor of New York has been branded as the "second toughest job" in the United States of America, behind only the U.S. president. The current mayor
992-399: Was granted its current responsibility for assisting the Mayor in developing and implementing the City's budget, and for advising the Mayor on policy affecting the City's fiscal stability and the effectiveness of City services. The agency is headed by a commissioner-level appointment, known as the Budget Director, responsible for drafting the city's budget, turning the Mayor's policy goals into
New York City Law Department - Misplaced Pages Continue
1024-466: Was reported that Governor Kathy Hochul was considering whether to use that process against Eric Adams after his indictment on federal corruption charges. Prior to 2024, the last New York governor to consider exercising this power was in 1932, when Franklin D. Roosevelt considered removing Jimmy Walker as mayor, who was accused of taking bribes from city contractors; however, Walker resigned before Roosevelt could remove him. The charter also provides
#81918