[Amended 8-20-1984 by L.L. No. 3-1984; 4-18-1988 by L.L. No.
3-1988; at general election 11-8-1984]
The Mayor shall be elected by voters of the
City at large to serve for a term of four years beginning January
1 next following his or her election, and shall not be eligible to
serve more than two consecutive terms. He or she shall be a resident
and registered voter of the City. The Mayor shall be elected at the
general election in the year 1963 and every four years thereafter.
The Mayor shall receive such compensation as fixed by ordinance adopted
by the City at any time, provided, however, that the compensation
of the Mayor shall not be diminished during his or her term of office.
In the event of the temporary absence or disability
of the Mayor, the Council President shall have the powers and duties
of the Mayor. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the
powers and duties of the office shall devolve upon the Council President
for the residue of the term who shall serve as and be the Mayor.
The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer
of the City government. He or she shall:
A.Â
Address the Council annually, and prior to its first
meeting in March, and at such other times as he or she may deem appropriate,
with respect to the needs and resources of the City government, including
such programs and proposals for the good of the City as he or she
may recommend.
[Amended 1-25-1988 by L.L. No. 2-1988; 2-16-1999 by L.L. No.
1-1999]
B.Â
Enforce or cause to be enforced all local laws and
ordinances;
C.Â
Have and exercise, in his or her discretion, the veto
power over local laws and ordinances as provided in this Charter or
by law;
D.Â
Present an annual operating and capital budget to
the Council as provided by this Charter;
E.Â
Appoint all officers and employees of the City government
for whose appointment no other provision is made by law; and have
power to hear, try and determine any complaint for misconduct or neglect
of duty against any officer of the City appointed by the Mayor, and
to suspend or remove any such officer, provided, however, that at
the next meeting of the Council after such removal he or she shall
state his or her reasons therefor in writing, which shall be spread
upon the minutes kept by the Council;
F.Â
Execute on behalf of the City, when so authorized
by Council, all deeds, contracts and other documents to be executed
as the act of the City, except as otherwise provided by the Local
Finance Law;
G.Â
Represent the City and assert its proper interest
in relation to the state and federal governments and other political
subdivisions, and with respect to municipal contracts and franchises;
H.Â
Have such other functions, powers and duties as may
be provided by law.
A.Â
Every ordinance shall be certified by the Clerk of
the Council after its passage by the Council and shall be promptly
presented to the Mayor for his or her approval. If the Mayor approves
it, he or she shall sign it and return it to the Clerk; and it shall
upon such signature be deemed to have been enacted. If he or she disapproves
it, he or she shall return it to the Clerk, with his or her objections
stated in writing, and the Clerk shall present the same with such
objections to the Council at its next meeting, at which such objections
shall be entered in its journal. The Council may, within 30 days,
reconsider any measure from which the Mayor has withheld his or her
approval. If upon such reconsideration the Council shall by the affirmative
vote of four Councilmen determine that such ordinance shall be adopted,
it shall be deemed enacted not withstanding the objections of the
Mayor. Upon such reconsideration, only one vote may be taken by the
Council and it shall be by yeas and nays which shall be entered in
the journal. If within 10 days after an ordinance shall have been
presented to him or her, the Mayor shall neither approve nor return
it to the Clerk with his or her objections, it shall be deemed to
be enacted in like manner as if he or she had signed it. At any time
prior to the expiration of such ten-day period or the return of an
ordinance by the Mayor to the Clerk, whichever is sooner, the Council
may recall the measure and reconsider its action thereon.
B.Â
If an ordinance presented to the Mayor shall contain
one or more items of appropriation of money he or she may object in
whole or in part to any such item or items while approving the other
portions of the ordinance. In such case he or she shall append to
the measure, at the time of signing it, a statement of each item or
part thereof to which he or she objects, and each item or part so
objected to shall not take effect unless, upon reconsideration as
in the case of an ordinance from which the Mayor has withheld his
or her approval, such item or part thereof be approved by a vote of
four Councilmen. All of the provisions of the preceding paragraph
in relation to ordinances not approved by the Mayor shall apply to
cases in which he or she shall withhold his or her approval from any
item or items or part thereof contained in a measure appropriating
money.
The Mayor, as chief executive, shall:
A.Â
Supervise the administration of each of the departments
of the City government;
B.Â
Require each department to make an annual and such
other reports of its work as he or she may deem desirable;
C.Â
Prescribe and enforce rules and regulations for the
efficient management of the City government not inconsistent with
this Charter;
D.Â
Coordinate the operation and administration of the
various departments, divisions, offices and agencies of the City government;
E.Â
Assign and reassign administrative functions, powers
and duties among and within departments established by this Charter;
F.Â
Perform such other duties as the Charter may require
or as Council may otherwise prescribe.
Each department head shall be appointed by the
Mayor, to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor. A department head shall
be, prior to his or her appointment, qualified by such training and
experience as may be required by the Charter or by local law or ordinance.
Under the supervision of the Mayor, each department head shall:
A.Â
Subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Law,
appoint and remove subordinate officers and employees within his or
her department;
B.Â
Direct and supervise the work of the department and
its employees through the divisions established by or under this Charter;
C.Â
Assign functions, powers and duties to subordinate
officers and employees within the department and modify such assignments
as need appears;
D.Â
Delegate to division heads such of his or her powers
as he or she may deem necessary for efficient administration.
