Bronx Organizing &
Civics Workshops
Week 1: Learn What Your
Elected Officials Do
Bronx Community Board #6
Saturday, November 13, 2019
Agenda
01
Hierarchy of Government
What are the different levels of government?
02
State and City Budget and Process
How is tax money utilized?
03
Elected Officials
How can they assist?
04
Community Boards
What are their responsibilities?
Different Levels of Local Government
Federal
State
USA
New York
o 3 Branches
o Legislative – Congress
and Senate
o Executive – President
o Judicial – Supreme Court
• 3 Branches
• Legislative – Senate and the
Assembly
• Executive – Governor
• Judicial – New York State
Court of Appeals
City
New York
o
o
o
o
3 Branches
Legislative – City Council
Executive – Mayor
Judicial – Criminal Courts
and Civil Courts
Community Board
Bronx CD6
• 12 Bronx Community
Boards
• Chairperson – head of the
board
• District – head of the office
“Municipal corporations owe their origin to, and derive their powers and rights wholly from
, the legislature. It breathes into them the breath of life, without which it cannot exist.”
Hunter v. Pittsburgh, 207 U.S. 161, (1907)
NYC - NYS Fiscal Relationship
●
NYC residents send tax $ to state
●
State sends $ to the city
●
State controls city’s authority to raise taxes
●
State regulates the city’s ability to borrow
What Else Does The State Control?
● MTA
● Rent Laws in NYC
● Property Taxes
● Education
● Criminal Justice
● Traffic Speed Cameras
● Tolls on Bridges
● Congestion Pricing
New York State Government
Legislative: Assembly and Senate
Assembly (150 Assemblymembers)
Speaker is the head of the Assembly
Senate (63 Senators)
Confirms Governor’s appointment of officials and judges
Both
Proposes bills and passes the bills. Bill can be
passed despite an executive veto with a 2/3 vote
Assembly
Has 37 standing committees
Senate
Lieutenant Governor is the Senate’s President
Both
Sets penalties, promotes public welfare and
amends or repeals outdated laws
State Budget Process
June –
September/October
~
Agency Budget
Preparation
01
02
November – January ~ Governor’s Decision
~
Budget Execution
~
September/October –
December
03
04
March - April 1
Budget Division
Review
05
Legislative Action
~
January – March
State Budget - $175.5 Billion
Source: https://openbudget.ny.gov/spendingForm.html
New York City Government
Executive: Mayor
 Oversees city agencies
and hires heads of city
agencies
 Upholds veto power
 Submits an annual
budget to the city
council to fund
operations and
programs
New York City Government
Legislative Branch: New York City Council
 Introduces and votes on legislation
 Works with the Mayor on the budget
and its approval
 Evaluates effectiveness of city agency
operations
 Gives out discretionary funds
 Reviews land use items (ULURP)
 Can’t raise taxes
City Budget - $92 Billion- Where Does it Come From?
Source: https://council.nyc.gov/budget/economic_revenue_forecast_fy_preliminary_budget/
City Budget Timeline
Council Analysis & Hearings
The Council analyzes the
preliminary budget and holds
public hearings to evaluate
concerns from residents,
advocates and city agencies.
January
Preliminary Budget
The Mayor presents a
preliminary budget
with an outline of his
priorities and goals.
March/
April
April
Executive Budget & Hearings
The Mayor releases an updated
budget based on the Council’s
response. The Council analyzes
the budget and holds a second
round of public hearings.
Formal Response
The Council responds
to the preliminary
budget including a
summary of concerns.
April
May/June
Adopted Budget
The Council and Mayor
negotiate further
adjustments and finally
agree on the Adopted Budget.
NYC Annual Budget increased $19 billion from 2014 to 2019
State- Wide Elected
Officials
NYS Attorney General Letitia James
NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Bronx State Senators
NYS Senator Jose M.
Serrano
Senate District 29
Chair of Majority
Conference and Chair of
Committee on Cultural
Affairs, Tourism, Parks
and Recreation
NYS Senator Luis
Sepulveda
Senate District 32
Chair of Crime Victims,
Crime and Correction
Committee
NYS Senator Gustavo
Rivera
Senator District 33
Chair of Committee on
Health
NYS Senator
Alessandra Biaggi
Senator District 34
Chair of Committee
on Ethics and
Internal Governance
NYS Senator Jamaal
Bailey
Senator District 36
Chair of Committee
on Codes
Bronx State Assembly
Members
NYS Assemblywoman
Latoya Joyner
Assembly District 77
Chair of Diversity in
Law Subcommittee
NYS Assemblyman Jose
Rivera
Assembly District 78
NYS Assemblyman
Michael Blake
Assembly District 79
Chair of Mitchell Lama Subcommittee
NYS Assemblywoman
Nathalia Fernandez
Assembly District 80
Chair of Effective
Treatment
Subcommittee
NYS Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Assembly District 81
Chair of Judiciary
Committee
Bronx State Assembly
Members (Continued)
NYS Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto
Assembly District 82
Chair of Committee on
Education
NYS Assemblyman Carl
Heastie
Assembly District 83
Chair of Rules
Committee
NYS Assemblywoman
Carmen E. Arroyo
Assembly District 84
NYS Assemblyman
Marcos Crespo
Assembly District 85
Chair of Labor
Committee
NYS Assemblyman NYS Assemblywoman
Victor Pichardo
Karines Reyes
Assembly District 86 Assembly District 87
Chair of State-Local
Relations
Commission and
Chair of New
Americans Task
Force
City-Wide Elected Officials
NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio
NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
Borough President
NYC Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx City Councilmembers
NYC Councilwoman
Diana Ayala
Council District 8
Chair of Mental Health,
Disabilities and
Addictions Committee
NYC Councilman
Andrew Cohen
Council District 11
Chair of State and
Federal Legislation
Committee
NYC Councilman Andy
King
Council District 12
Chair of Juvenile
Justice Committee
NYC Councilman
Mark Gjonaj
Council District 13
Chair of Small
Business Committee
NYC Councilman
Fernando Cabrera
Council District 14
Chair of
Governmental
Operations
Committee
Bronx City Councilmembers
(Continued)
NYC Councilman
Ritchie Torres
Council District 15
Chair of Oversight and
Investigations
NYC Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson
Council District 16
Chair of Capital
Budget/Finance
Subcommittee
NYC Councilman
Rafael Salamanca
Council District 17
Chair of Land Use
Committee
NYC Councilman
Ruben Diaz Sr.
Council District 18
Who Represents Me? NYCityMap
http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/
Elected Official Funding
NYS Discretionary Funding
Priority Funds (~$15 Million)
o
~$100k per member
o No Online Process
Capital Funds (~$150 Million )
o
o
The minimum cost must be $35,000
~$1.5 Million per member
o No Online Process
NYC Council Discretionary Funding
Expense Funds (~$25.5 Million)
o
o
~$500 to $600 k per member
Online Submission
Capital Funds (~$255 Million )
o
o
The minimum cost must be $35,000
$5 million per member
Speaker/City-Wide Initiative (~$35 Million)
o Initiatives created by the Council to address needs
o Groups should identify intent to be considered for Initiative Funding
o Groups should also meet with the Chair of the Committee that the initiative belongs and send letter of intent to both the Chair
of the Committee and the Speaker
Borough President Capital Funding ($~$150 Million)
Capital Funding  Borough Presidents receive 5% of the total city
capital fund mandated by Section 211 and 249
of the NYC Charter to disburse.
 Last year, The Bronx received $31.4 million
How to Apply For BP Capital Funding- Brooklyn
How to Apply For BP Capital Funding- Manhattan
How to Apply For BP Capital Funding- The Bronx
Activity #1
E-mail your elected officials and sign up for their mailing lists and ask what their process is
for giving discretionary funds
Community Boards – “Little City Halls”
Community Boards - Background




~$255K Budget
Approve restaurant liquor licenses and street activities
Plan community events
Advocate for their community’s needs
Community Boards - Background
Community Boards – What They Shouldn’t Do
Community Boards – What Bronx CB6 Does
Holiday
Toy
Giveaway
First Annual 5K
Raising $1,800 for
Lupus
Research Alliance
Community Boards – What Bronx CB6 Does
FIRST ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST
OPEN GYM NIGHTS
Activity #2
E-mail your Community Board and ask how they are spending their extra $42,500.
Stay Informed- News Sources to Follow
Thank You and Stay in Touch!
•IG: @bronxcb6
•Facebook.com/bronxcb6
•Twitter: @bronxcb6
•E-mail: bronxcb6@bronxcb6.org