Mayor of New York City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of New York
Standard of the mayor of New York City
Seal of the City of New York
Incumbent Eric Adams since January 1, 2022
Government of New York City
Style	His Honor; Mr. Mayor (informal)
Residence	Gracie Mansion
Seat	New York City Hall
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Constituting instrument	New York City Charter
Inaugural holder	Thomas Willett
Formation	June 12, 1665; 360 years ago (1665-06-12)
Succession	New York City Public Advocate, then New York City Comptroller
Deputy	First Deputy Mayor of New York City
Salary	$258,750 (2024)

The mayor of New York City is the main leader of the city government. This person is in charge of all city services, like police and fire departments. They also manage public property and make sure city and state laws are followed within New York City.

The mayor's office handles a huge budget, which is the largest for any city in the United States. In 2021, this budget was over $100 billion. The city employs about 325,000 people. It also spends around $21 billion to educate more than 1.1 million students. This makes New York City's public school system the largest in the country.

The mayor works from New York City Hall. Their power covers all five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens. The mayor chooses many important officials, including deputy mayors and the people who lead city agencies.

A mayor can serve for two four-year terms in a row. After a break of four years, they can run for office again. The current mayor is Eric Adams. He was elected in November 2021 and started his term on January 1, 2022.

Being the mayor of New York City is often called one of the toughest jobs in America. It's rare for a New York City mayor to become a higher-ranking politician later. The last mayor to do so was John T. Hoffman, who became the governor of New York in 1869.

History of the Mayor's Role

In 1665, the first mayor of New York, Thomas Willett, was chosen by Governor Richard Nicolls. For a long time, mayors were appointed and had limited power.

Over the years, how the mayor was chosen changed. In 1821, a group called the Common Council started choosing the mayor. Then, in 1834, a new rule allowed people to vote directly for the mayor. Cornelius W. Lawrence was the first mayor elected by popular vote that same year.

Gracie Mansion has been the official home for New York City mayors since 1942. Its main floor is open to the public as a small museum.

The mayor earns a salary of $258,750 a year. However, some mayors, like Michael Bloomberg, chose to be paid only $1 per year.

In 2000, the mayor's office took direct control of the city's public school system. This led to the creation of the New York City Department of Education in 2003.

"New York's new solar system": Tammany Hall revolved around Boss Croker in this 1899 cartoon in Puck.

A powerful political group called Tammany Hall played a big role in New York City politics for many years. It started in 1786 and became very strong in the Democratic Party. Tammany Hall influenced who was chosen for political jobs in the city and state from the mid-1800s until the 1960s.

Deputy Mayors: Helping Lead the City

The mayor of New York City can choose several deputy mayors. These deputies help the mayor manage different parts of the city government. The city's rules don't set a specific number of deputy mayors or exactly what they do.

The role of deputy mayor was first created by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. He appointed Grover Whalen to handle official events when the mayor was too busy. Since then, mayors have given deputy mayors specific areas of responsibility.

Currently, there are nine deputy mayors. They all report directly to the mayor. Most leaders of city agencies report to one of the deputy mayors. This gives the deputy mayors a lot of influence in how the city is run. If the mayor leaves office, deputy mayors do not automatically take over the mayor's job.

Who Are the Current Deputy Mayors?

• Randy Mastro, First Deputy Mayor: Helps the mayor with city-wide plans and operations.
• Camille Joseph Varlack, Deputy Mayor for Administration: Manages city services and international relations.
• Adolfo Carrión Jr., Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce: Focuses on housing, jobs, and city growth.
• Suzanne Miles-Gustave, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services: Oversees health and social services for the city.
• Jeffrey Roth, Deputy Mayor for Operations: Manages city services like transportation, sanitation, and parks.
• Kaz Daughtry, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety: Oversees police, fire, and emergency services.
• Ana Almanzar, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives
• Fabien Levy, Deputy Mayor for Communications
• Tiffany Raspberry, Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs

Past Deputy Mayors

Many people have served as deputy mayors under different mayors. Some notable former deputy mayors include:

• Under Eric Adams: Lorraine Grillo, Philip Banks III, Sheena Wright, Maria Torres-Springer, Chauncey Parker, Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom.
• Under Bill de Blasio: Emma Wolfe, Dean Fuleihan, Anthony Shorris, Vicki Been, Alicia Glen, Herminia Palacio, Lilliam Barrios-Paoli.
• Under Michael Bloomberg: Patricia Harris, Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel L. Doctoroff, Robert K. Steel, Dennis M. Walcott, Howard Wolfson.
• Under previous mayors like Rudy Giuliani, David Dinkins, Ed Koch, Abraham Beame, John Lindsay, and Robert F. Wagner Jr..

Important City Roles Appointed by the Mayor

The mayor has the power to choose and remove the leaders of more than 40 city agencies. They also appoint members to various city boards and commissions. These important roles include:

• New York City Police Commissioner
• New York City Fire Commissioner
• Judges for the New York City Criminal Court
• New York City Schools Chancellor (since 2002)
• Head of the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget
• Commissioner of Health of the City of New York

Mayor's Role on Boards

The mayor of New York City is automatically a board member of many important organizations. This means they have a say in how these places are run. These include:

How a Mayor Can Leave Office

The governor of New York has the power to remove the mayor from office if there are serious concerns about their conduct. Before doing so, the governor must listen to the mayor's side of the story. The governor can also temporarily suspend the mayor for 30 days while looking into the situation.

Another way a mayor can be removed is through a special "Inability Committee." This committee has five members, including the city's top lawyer and the speaker of the City Council. If four out of five committee members agree, they can send concerns about the mayor to the City Council. The City Council can then vote to permanently remove the mayor or temporarily suspend them. This process has never been used.

If a mayor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the public advocate takes over as interim mayor. If the public advocate cannot, then the city comptroller steps in. A special election is then held to choose a new mayor.

See also

In Spanish: Alcalde de Nueva York para niños