Mayor Of New York City - Wikipedia

Chief executive of New York City For a list, see List of mayors of New York City.

Mayor of the City of New York
Seal of the City of New York
Standard of the mayor of New York City
IncumbentZohran Mamdanisince January 1, 2026
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
Unofficial names	Hizzoner[1]
Deputy	First Deputy Mayor, Dean Fuleihan[2]
Salary	$258,750 (2024)
Website	www.nyc.gov/mayor

The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of 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, and 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 the United States, totaling $115.9 billion in fiscal year 2026.[3] 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, 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 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,[4] but in 2010, a referendum reverting the limit to two terms passed overwhelmingly.[5]

The New York City mayoralty has become known as the "second toughest job in America".[6] It has been observed that politicians are rarely elected to any higher office after serving as mayor of New York City; the last elected mayor who later achieved higher office was John T. Hoffman, who became governor of New York in 1869. (The last mayor to win a roughly comparable office was Ardolph Kline, elected to the U.S. Congress for one term in 1920; Kline had become Acting Mayor for part of 1913 without ever having won a city-wide election.) Former mayor Ed Koch said that the post was jinxed due to divine intervention, whereas Michael Bloomberg, who — like mayors John Lindsay and Rudy Giuliani before him — unsuccessfully ran for president, has called the supposed curse "a statistical fluke".[7]

The current mayor is Zohran Mamdani, who was elected on November 4, 2025, and took office shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026.

History

[edit] See also: List of mayors of New York City

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 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 is open to the public and serves as a small museum.

The mayor is entitled to a salary of $258,750 a year.[8] Michael Bloomberg, mayor of the city from 2002 to 2013 and one of the richest people in the world,[9] 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 the New York City Department of Education.

As a position that is elected, appointed, or hired by the city, the mayor of New York must file their oath of office with the city clerk's office and pay a $9 fee by credit card or money order.[10]

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 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.

Deputies

[edit] Further information: List of deputy mayors of New York City

The mayor of New York City may appoint several deputy mayors to help oversee major offices within the executive branch of the city government. The powers and duties, and even the number of deputy mayors, are not defined by the City Charter. 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.

Offices appointed

[edit] Further information: List of New York City agencies

"The mayor has the power to appoint and remove the commissioners of more than 40 city agencies and members of City boards and commissions."[11] These include:

• New York City Police Commissioner
• New York City Fire Commissioner
• New York City Criminal Court judges
• New York City Marshals
• New York City Schools Chancellor (as of 2002)
• New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget
• Commissioner of Health of the City of New York

Board member

[edit]

The mayor of New York City is an ex-officio board member of the following organizations:[11]

• American Museum of Natural History
• Brooklyn Academy of Music
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Brooklyn Children's Museum
• Brooklyn Museum of Art
• Brooklyn Public Library
• Carnegie Hall
• El Museo del Barrio
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Jewish Heritage
• Museum of the City of New York
• National September 11 Memorial & Museum
• New York Botanical Garden
• New York Hall of Science
• New York Public Library
• New York Shakespeare Festival
• Public Design Commission
• Queens Borough Public Library
• Queens Botanical Garden
• Queens Museum of Art
• Snug Harbor Cultural Center
• Staten Island Botanical Garden
• Staten Island Children's Museum
• Staten Island Historical Society
• Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences
• Staten Island Zoo
• Wave Hill
• Wildlife Conservation Society

Removal from office

[edit]

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.[12][13] The governor can suspend the mayor for 30 days while considering the allegations. In 2024, it 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 Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1932 considered suspending Mayor Jimmy Walker, after the latter was accused of taking bribes from city contractors. Walker resigned before Roosevelt could remove him.[13]

The charter also provides 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, 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.[12] This process has never been used.[14]

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.[15] The successor becomes interim mayor pending a special election.

See also

[edit]

• List of mayors of New York City
• New York City mayoral elections (since 1897)
• Borough president
• Government of New York City
• History of New York City
• New York City Council
• New York City Public Advocate
• New York City Comptroller
• New York City Board of Estimate (1897–1990)
• New York City Civil Court
• New York City Criminal Court
• New York City: the 51st State

References

[edit]

1. ^ Singer, Mark (December 16, 2012). "Hizzoner". The New Yorker. New York City: Condé Nast. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
2. ^ Fandos, Nicholas (November 10, 2025). "Mamdani Fills 2 Top Posts With Government Veteran and Trusted Aide". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
3. ^ "New York City Office of Management and Budget Frequently Asked Questions". NYC Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
4. ^ Kramer, Marcia (October 23, 2008). "'Aye' and Mighty: Bloomberg's Wish Is Granted". WCBS. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008.
5. ^ Katz, Celeste. "Is Term Limit Vote a Big Smack at Mayor?". Daily Politics (blog). Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013.
6. ^ Gabbatt, Adam (April 22, 2021). "Why New York mayor is the 'second toughest job in America'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
7. ^ "A curse? No higher office for NYC mayors". NBC News. January 31, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
8. ^ "League of Women Voters of the City of New York – About Us". Lwvnyc.org. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
9. ^ "Forbes Profile". Forbes. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
10. ^ Schermele, Eduardo Cuevas and Zachary. "Running for NYC mayor costs millions. Making it official takes $9". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
11. ^ a b "Office of the Mayor". New York City. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
12. ^ a b "No NYC mayor has resigned in decades. But here's what would happen if they did". City & State NY. September 26, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
13. ^ a b Mahoney, Bill; Reisman, Nick (September 26, 2024). "Hochul examining dormant power to remove a New York City mayor". Politico. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
14. ^ Oreskes, Benjamin (September 26, 2024). "The Two Ways Eric Adams Could Be Forced From Office". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
15. ^ "The Mayor". What Makes New York City Run? A Citizen's Guide To How City Government Works (Third ed.). New York, N.Y.: League of Women Voters of the City of New York Education Fund. 2001. pp. 30–31. ISBN 0-916130-02-9.

Further reading

[edit]

• Arnold, R. Douglas, and Nicholas Carnes. "Holding mayors accountable: New York's executives from Koch to Bloomberg." American Journal of Political Science 56.4 (2012): 949–963 online.
• Fine, Elizabeth, and James Caras. "Twenty-Five Years of the Council-Mayor Governance of New York City: A History of the Council's Powers, the Separation of Powers, and Issues for Future Resolution" New York Law School Review (2013) 58#1 pp. 119–136 online
• Fuchs, Ester R. Mayors and money: Fiscal policy in New York and Chicago (University of Chicago Press, 1992) online.
• Hoffman, David C., Tiffany Lewis, and Don Waisanen. "The language of political genres: inaugural and state speeches of New York City Mayors and US Presidents." Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association 2017.1 (2021): 9+ online.
• Holli, Melvin G., and Peter d'A. Jones, eds. Biographical Dictionary of American Mayors 1820-1980 (Greenwood, 1981) Short scholarly biographies of all NYC mayors 1820–1980; see list p. 410.
• Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. The encyclopedia of New York City (2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2010). online
• McNickle, Chris. To be mayor of New York: Ethnic politics in the city (Columbia University Press, 1993) online; covers 1881–1989.
• McNickle, Chris. Bloomberg: A Billionaire's Ambition (Simon and Schuster, 2017), scholarly study of mayoralty. 2002–2013 online.
• Reitano, Joanne. The Restless City: A short history of New York from colonial times to the present (Routledge, 2010).
• Rogers, David. Mayoral control of the New York City schools (Springer, 2009). online
• Weikart, Lynne A. Follow the Money: Who Controls New York City Mayors? (SUNY Press, 2009).

External links

[edit]

• Official website
• Mayor in the Rules of the City of New York

v t e Mayors of New York City from inception to consolidation (June 12, 1665 – December 31, 1897)
T. Willett Delavall T. Willett Van Steenwyk Delavall Nicoll J. Lawrence Dervall De Mayer S. Van Cortlandt Delavall Rombouts Dyre Van Steenwyk Minvielle N. Bayard S. Van Cortlandt Delanoy J. Lawrence A. de Peyster Lodwik Merritt J. de Peyster Provost De Riemer Noell French Peartree Wilson J. Van Cortlandt Heathcote Johnstone J. Van Cortlandt Walters Jansen Lurting Richard Cruger S. Bayard Holland Cruger Jr Hicks Mathews Duane Varick Livingston Clinton M. Willett Clinton Radcliff Clinton Ferguson Radcliff Colden Allen Paulding Hone Paulding Bowne Lee C. Lawrence Clark Varian Morris Harper Havemeyer Mickle Brady Havemeyer Woodhull Kingsland Westervelt Wood Tiemann Wood Opdyke Gunther Hoffman Coman Hall Havemeyer Vance Wickham Ely Cooper Grace Edson Grace Hewitt Grant Gilroy Strong

v t e Mayors of New York City since the 1898 consolidation
Van Wyck (1898–1901) Low (1902–1903) McClellan (1904–1909) Gaynor (1910–1913) Kline (1913) Mitchel (1914–1917) Hylan (1918–1925) Collins (1925) Walker (1926–1932) McKee (1932) O'Brien (1933) La Guardia (1934–1945) O'Dwyer (1946–1950) Impelitteri (1950–1953) Wagner (1954–1965) Lindsay (1966–1973) Beame (1974–1977) Koch (1978–1989) Dinkins (1990–1993) Giuliani (1994–2001) Bloomberg (2002–2013) de Blasio (2014–2021) Adams (2022–2025) Mamdani (2026–present)
Category:Mayors of New York City

v t e Mayoral elections in New York City
1826 1831 1850 1852 1854 1856 1857 1859 1861 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1897 1901 1903 1905 1909 1913 1917 1921 1925 1929 1932 1933 1937 1941 1945 1949 1950 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025

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