YOU ELECT:

MAYOR

ELECTED BY VOTERS OF THE ENTIRE CITY
Term: 4 years
Salary: $225,000
(and residence at Gracie Mansion)

-- Is the city's chief executive officer
-- Appoints the heads of all city agencies and departments
-- Has the power to reorganize major mayoral agencies
-- Has the major responsibility for the preparation of the city's budgets and revenue estimates
-- Must sign a bill before it becomes a law
-- Approves contracts through agencies
-- Appoints 7 of the 13 members of the City Planning Commission

COMPTROLLER

ELECTED BY VOTERS OF THE ENTIRE CITY
Term: 4 years
Salary: $185,000

-- Recommends fiscal policies and financial transactions for the city
-- Investigates all matters affecting the finances of the city
-- Conducts performance audits of city agencies
-- Issues and sells city bonds

PUBLIC ADVOCATE

ELECTED BY VOTERS OF THE ENTIRE CITY
Term: 4 years
Salary: $165,000

-- Acts as mayor when the mayor is away or ill, and is first in line for succession
-- Serves as an ombudsman reviewing service and program complaints of a boroughwide or citywide nature
-- Coordinates citywide citizen information
-- Names 1 of the 13 members of the City Planning Commission

BOROUGH PRESIDENT

ELECTED BY VOTERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BOROUGHS
Term: 4 years
Salary: $160,000

-- Is the administrative head of the borough
-- Maintains a cabinet and staff
-- Chairs the borough board
-- Appoints members of the community boards in the borough
-- Holds public hearings on matters of public interest
-- Recommends, with the other four borough presidents, 5 percent of the city's capital budget and 5 percent of the non-mandated increases in the expense budget
-- May initiate legislation in the City Council and propose zoning changes
-- Is directly involved in land-use planning and local service delivery
-- Appoints 1 of the 13 members of the City Planning Commission

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

ELECTED BY VOTERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BOROUGHS AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS
Term: 4 years - (Limited to two terms, due to term limits law)
Salary: $112,500

-- Is a voting member of the City Council
-- Serves on various standing committees of the City Council
-- Is a non-voting member of the community board

The City Council is the legislative body of the City of New York. It consists of the public advocate and one council member from each of the 51 districts. The council elects a Speaker from among its members.

The CITY COUNCIL:

-- Adopts local laws
-- May make minor amendments to the City Charter
-- May request the state legislature to pass laws applying to the City of New York (Home Rule)
-- Has sole approval of the budget
-- Has power to enact new local taxes
-- May request additional power from the state legislature
-- Fixes annual rate of real estate taxes
-- Gives advice and consent on mayoral appointments
-- Can review all land-use matters and can override mayoral vetoes with a two-thirds majority
-- Is responsible for oversight of all city agencies

DISTRICT ATTORNEY

ELECTED BY VOTERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BOROUGHS
Term: 4 years
Salary: $190,000

Protects the public in the borough in which he/she has been elected, by investigating and prosecuting criminal conduct.

JUSTICES of the SUPREME COURT

ELECTED ON THE BASIS OF JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
Term: 14 years
Salary: $136,700

The Supreme Court handles civil cases as well as serious crimes, injunctions, divorces and legal separations, etc. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, decisions of the New York State Supreme Court may be appealed to a higher court.

JUDGES of the CIVIL COURT of the CITY of NEW YORK

ELECTED COUNTYWIDE AND BY DISTRICTS WITHIN A COUNTY
Term: 10 years
Salary: $125,600

The Civil Court decides cases involving $25,000 or less, and includes a Small Claims Court for informal disposition of cases involving less than $3,000. It also has a Housing Part which handles code violations and tenant-landlord disputes.

INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION, ENROLLMENT, VOTING

To vote in a General Election you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of New York City for 30 days before November election, 18 years of age on or before Election Day, and you must be registered.

REGISTRATION: New York State has Permanent Personal Registration. If you are not registered, or if you have moved and have not reinstated your registration ...

REGISTER BY MAIL: Forms are available from Borough Boards of Elections, public library branches, local post offices, many government agencies, and the League of Women Voters.

REGISTER IN PERSON: You may register at your Borough Board of Elections.

POLITICAL PARTY ENROLLMENT: You may enroll in the party of your choice when you register. Party enrollment entitles you to vote in that party's primary election. (You may vote for any party's candidate in a general election.)

ABSENTEE VOTING: If you are a registered voter but will be out of New York City on Election Day or are unable to go to the polls because of illness or physical disability, you may request an application for an absentee ballot in person up until 5 p.m. on the day before the election; or by mail postmarked a week before the election. The completed ballot may be delivered in person by Election Day, or postmarked by the day before the election and received by the Board of Elections within one week after the election.

Borough Boards of Elections:

Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bronx 1780 Grand Concourse (10457) 718/299-9017
Brooklyn 345 Adams Street (11201) 718/330-2250
Manhattan 200 Varick Street (10014) 212/886-2100
Queens 126-06 Queens Blvd (11415) 718/730-6730
Staten Island 1 Edgewater Plaza (10305) 718/876-0079

Voter Information: 212/VOTE-NYC (212-868-3692) TDD Hearing Impaired: 212/497-5496

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
EDUCATION FUND
150 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10038
212-725-3541

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization whose purpose is to promote informed and active citizen participation in government. It neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties. Membership is open to all who subscribe to its purpose. The League is supported by dues and contributions from public-spirited individuals, businesses and organizations.

For more information, please consult our publications,
"What Makes New York City Run?" & "They Represent You"