Elected Official Information

Elected Officials

Elected officials are elected by voters to represent a certain district or area. They can have several functions usually in some form of legislation and budgeting.

Elected officials offices offer many services including but not limited to:

● Application help for Public Assistances, Housing, and more
● Street Renaming
● Community Events such as family days, community distribution for food, clothes and other necessities
● Agency assistance where they can communicate on behalf of you to an agency to get a faster response and help community members navigate agency resources and procedures.

Local Officials

Local Officials are usually community oriented and focuses on the singular or several neighborhoods.

Tenant Association President

Tenant Association President – Elected President of an Tenant Association who speaks on behalf of his or her residents and organizes them to take action for the betterment of the tenants. A Tenant Association is self-made union of tenants that communicates with local agencies, other tenants, and the landlord in an effort to create the best possible living situation. This includes:
Filing complaints with City and State agencies, pressuring landlords to make repairs, stopping harassments from landlords, getting help from elected officials, and organizing actions such as to legal action or rent strike.

District Manger

Each Community Board has its own office, District Manager, and staff. The District Manager and the Board staff are hired by a Community Board and serve at the Board’s pleasure. The District Manager establishes an office, hires staff, and implements procedures to improve the delivery of City services to the district. District Managers play many different roles. They are complaint takers, municipal managers, information sources, community organizers, mediators, advocates and much more. The main responsibility of the District office is to receive and resolve complaints from community residents. They also process permits for block parties, street fairs, etc. In addition, the office handles special projects such us organizing tenants and merchants associations, coordinating neighborhood cleanup programs, publicizing special events, and more, depending on community needs.

Community Board Chairperson

The Chairperson of each Community Board is a member of a board known as the Borough Board. Each New York City Borough has its own Board, comprised of the Board’s Borough President, all of the New York City Council members from that Borough, and all of the Community Board Chairpersons. These Borough Boards are responsible for:
● Community Board and city agency matters relating to the welfare of the borough and its residents; Holding or conducting public hearings at its discretion;
● Assisting agencies that deliver services within the borough to prepare and review service statements;
● Preparing and planning for the physical growth, improvement and development of the borough;
● Reviewing and making recommendations with respect to applications and proposals of public agencies and private entities for the use, development or improvement of land located in more than one district;
● Mediating disputes and conflicts arising among two or more Community Boards in the borough;
● Submitting a comprehensive statement of the expense and capital budget priorities and needs of the borough;
● Keeping a public record of its activities and transactions, including minutes of the meetings, and to make these records available to elected officials upon request and for reasonable public inspection.

Borough President

The Borough President works with the Mayor to prepare the annual executive budget submitted to the City Council, reviews and comments on major land use projects, and proposes sites for City facilities within her jurisdiction. The Borough President also monitors the administration of City services and engages in strategic planning for the economic development of the borough. She appoints a representative to the New York City Board of Education and the New York City Planning Commission. The Borough President also appoints the members of the Community Boards and is the Chairperson of both the Borough Board and the Borough Services Cabinet. Among other distinctions, the Borough President sits on the New York City Off-Track Betting Site Selection Board, and is a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System. The Borough President’s Office also houses the Borough’s Topographical Bureau, which is responsible for maintaining the borough’s official maps, and assigning street addresses.

City Officials

City Officials oversee districts which are several neighborhoods combined. Overseeing city legislations and city issues. Such as city agencies like police department.

City Council Member

The New York City Council, comprised of 51 elected members, is the legislative branch of New York City government. Council Members represent constituents in all five boroughs in New York City. Council responsibilities include, but are not limited to: oversight of city agencies, enactment of local laws and legislation, budget power, land use power, and advice and consent over mayoral appointments.

Mayor

The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the City. He is also a Magistrate.
The Mayor has the power to appoint and remove the commissioners of more than 40 city agencies and members of City boards and commissions. The Mayor is responsible for preparing and administering the City’s annual Expense and Capital Budgets and financial plan. He is responsible for managing the City’s relations with federal, state and local governing entities. The Mayor has the power to veto local laws enacted by the City Council, but such a veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Council. Pursuant to State law, the Mayor appoints Criminal Court Judges, Family Court Judges and Interim Civil Court Judges. The Mayor has powers and responsibilities relating to land use and City contracts and collaborates with city, state and federal agencies responsible for the City’s economic development and infrastructure. The Mayor maintains a liaison with governmental bodies dealing with pensions, public finance, procurement and franchises and concessions. The Mayor has all residual powers of the City government not otherwise delegated by law to some other public official or body. In the event of the resignation, death or removal of a Mayor, the Public Advocate serves as Acting Mayor until a special election or general election is held, depending on when the vacancy in the Office arises.

The Mayor sits ex officio on the boards of the 33 City-owned cultural institutions that are part of the Cultural Institutions Group as well as the Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Arts Education, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of Modern Art, New York Public Library and Queens Borough Public Library.

Commissioners

Commissioners are often head of the a specific department or agencies. Overseeing its daily functions and managing its budgeting, duties, and working with elected officials for specific goals

State Officials

State similarly to city oversee overlapping neighborhoods and districts. Often larger than most city neighborhoods. Oversees state legislation and state agencies such as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) or the Department of Motorized Vehicles (DMV).

State Assembly Member

The New York State Assembly is the lower chamber of the New York State Legislature. Alongside the New York State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the New York state government and works alongside the governor of New York to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the New York State Assembly include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

State Senator

Federal Officials

Federal Representatives oversee several neighborhoods sometimes spanning into multiple boroughs overseeing Federal legislations, issues, and agencies such as the Social Security Administration.

Congressional Representatives

Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Among other duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. The number of representatives per state is proportionate to population.