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New York City Overview
The New York City Charter
NEW YORK CITY CHARTER
Preamble
Introductory
Chapter 1: Mayor
Chapter 2: Council
Chapter 2-A: Districting Commission
Chapter 3: Board of Estimate [Repealed]
Chapter 4: Borough Presidents.
Chapter 5: Comptroller.
Chapter 6: Expense Budget
Chapter 7: Tax Appeals
Chapter 8: City Planning
Chapter 9: Capital Projects and Budget
Chapter 10: Budget Process
Chapter 11: Independent Budget Office
Chapter 12: Obligations of the City
Chapter 13: Procurement
Chapter 13-A: Office of Economic and Financial Opportunity [Repealed]
Chapter 13-B: Office of Labor Services [Repealed]
Chapter 14: Franchises, Revocable Consents and Concessions
Chapter 15: Property of the City
Chapter 16: Heads of Mayoral Agencies
Chapter 17: Law Department
Chapter 18: Police Department
Chapter 18-A: Civilian Complaint Review Board
Chapter 18-B: Independent Police Investigation and Audit Board
Chapter 18-C: Public Safety
Chapter 18-D: Sale, Purchase and Possession of Weapons
Chapter 19: Fire Department
Chapter 19-A: Emergency Management Department
Chapter 20: Education
Chapter 21: Department of Parks and Recreation
Chapter 21-A: New York City Sports Commission
Chapter 22: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Chapter 23: Office of Animal Welfare
Chapter 24: Department of Social Services
Chapter 24-A: Department of Homeless Services
Chapter 24-B: Administration for Children's Services
Chapter 25: Department of Correction
Chapter 26: Department of Buildings
Chapter 27: Board of Standards and Appeals
Chapter 28: Department of Juvenile Justice [Repealed]
Chapter 29: Department of Ports and Trade [Repealed]
Chapter 30: Department of Youth and Community Development
Chapter 31: Department of Sanitation
Chapter 34: Department of Investigation
Chapter 35: Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Chapter 36: Equal Employment Practices Commission
Chapter 37: Art Commission
Chapter 38: Financial Information Services Agency
Chapter 39: Office of Payroll Administration
Chapter 40: New York City Human Rights Commission
Chapter 45: City Administrative Procedure Act
Chapter 45-A: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings
Chapter 46: Elections and Voter Assistance
Chapter 46-A: Voting by Lawful Permanent Residents and Persons Authorized to Work in the United States
Chapter 47: Public Access to Meetings and Information
Chapter 48: Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications
Chapter 49: Officers and Employees
Chapter 50: Term Limits
Chapter 50-A: Qualification for Elected Office
Chapter 51: Transitory Provisions
Chapter 52: General Provisions
Chapter 54: Collective Bargaining
Chapter 55: Department of Design and Construction
Chapter 56: Department of Small Business Services
Chapter 57: Department of Environmental Protection
Chapter 58: Department of Finance
Chapter 59: Department of General Services [Repealed]
Chapter 61: Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Chapter 63: Business Integrity Commission
Chapter 64: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Chapter 65: New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission
Chapter 66: Department for the Aging
Chapter 67: Department of Cultural Affairs
Chapter 68: Conflicts of Interest
Chapter 69: Community Districts and Coterminality of Services
Chapter 70: City Government In the Community
Chapter 71: Department of Transportation
Chapter 72: Department of Records and Information Services
Chapter 73: Department of Employment [Repealed]
Chapter 74: Landmarks Preservation Commission
Chapter 75: Department of Veterans' Services
Chapter 76: Civic Engagement Commission
Chapter 77: Office of Ethnic and Community Media
Chapter 78: Equity
Chapter 79: Community Hiring and Workforce Development
The New York City Administrative Code
The Rules of the City of New York
THE RULES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Title 1: Department of Buildings
Title 2: Board of Standards and Appeals
Title 3: Fire Department
Title 6: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Title 9: Procurement Policy Board Rules
Title 12: Franchise and Concession Review Committee
Title 15: Department of Environmental Protection
Title 16: Department of Sanitation
Title 17: Business Integrity Commission
Title 19: Department of Finance
Title 20: Tax Appeals Tribunal
Title 21: Tax Commission
Title 22: Banking Commission
Title 24: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Title 25: Department of Mental Health and Retardation [Repealed]
Title 28: Housing Preservation and Development
Title 29: Loft Board
Title 30: Rent Guidelines Board
Title 31: Mayor's Office of Homelessness and Single Room Occupancy
Title 34: Department of Transportation
Title 35: Taxi and Limousine Commission
Title 38: Police Department
Title 38-A: Civilian Complaint Review Board
Title 39: Department of Correction
Title 40: Board of Correction
Title 41: Department of Juvenile Justice
Title 42: Department of Probation
Title 43: Mayor
Title 44: Comptroller
Title 45: Borough Presidents
Title 46: Law Department
Title 47: Commission on Human Rights
Title 48: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)
Title 49: Department of Records and Information Services
Title 50: Community Assistance Unit
Title 51: City Clerk
Title 52: Campaign Finance Board*
Title 53: Conflicts of Interest Board
Title 55: Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Title 56: Department of Parks and Recreation
Title 57: Art Commission
Title 58: Department of Cultural Affairs
Title 60: Civil Service Commission
Title 61: Office of Collective Bargaining
Title 62: City Planning
Title 63: Landmarks Preservation Commission
Title 66: Department of Small Business Services
Title 67: Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications
Title 68: Human Resources Administration
Title 69: Department of Aging
Title 70: In Rem Foreclosure Release Board
Title 71: Voter Assistance Commission
Title 72: Office of Emergency Management
Title 73: Civic Engagement Commission
Title 74: Community Hiring
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Section 34. Vote required for local law or resolution.
Except as otherwise provided by law, no local law or resolution shall be passed except by at least the majority affirmative vote of all the council members.
Section 35. Ayes and noes.
   a.   On the final passage of a local law or resolution the question shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be entered in the journal of proceedings. No such vote may be cast except by a council member who is present and who casts his or her own vote in the manner prescribed by the rules of the council.
   b.   All committee votes on proposed local laws or resolutions shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be entered in a committee report a copy of which shall be filed with the clerk or other official specified by the council rules for this purpose and which shall be available for public inspection. No such vote may be cast except by a member of the committee who is present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.
Section 36. Local laws; passage.
No local law shall be passed until it shall have been in its final form and upon the desks of the council members at least seven calendar days, exclusive of Sundays, prior to its final passage, unless the mayor shall have certified as to the necessity for its immediate passage and such local law be passed by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the council members.
For purposes of this section, a local law shall be deemed to be upon the desks of the council members if: it is set forth in a legible electronic format by electronic means, and it is available for review in such format at the desks of the members. For purposes of this section "electronic means" means any method of transmission of information between computers or other machines designed for the purpose of sending and receiving such transmissions and which: allows the recipient to reproduce the information transmitted in a tangible medium of expression; and does not permit additions, deletions or other changes to be made without leaving an adequate record thereof.
Section 37. Local laws; action by mayor.
   a.   Every local law certified by the clerk of the council, after its passage by the council, shall be presented to the mayor for approval.
   b.   If the mayor approves the local law, the mayor shall sign it and return it to the clerk; it shall then be deemed to have been adopted. If the mayor 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 regular meeting and such objections shall be entered in its journal. The council within thirty days thereafter may reconsider the same. If after such reconsideration the votes of two-thirds of all the council members be cast in favor of repassing such local law, it shall be deemed adopted, notwithstanding the objections of the mayor. Only one vote shall be had upon such reconsideration. The vote shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be entered in the journal. If within thirty days after the local law shall have been presented to him or her, the mayor shall neither approve nor return the local law to the clerk with his or her objections, it shall be deemed to have been adopted in like manner as if the mayor had signed it. At any time prior to the return of a local law by the mayor, the council may recall the same and reconsider its action thereon.
Section 38. Local laws; referendum.
A local law shall be submitted for the approval of the electors at the next general election held not less than sixty days after the adoption thereof, and shall become operative as prescribed therein only when approved at such election by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified electors of the city voting upon the proposition, if it:
   1.   Abolishes or changes the form or composition of the council or increases or decreases the number of votes any member is entitled to cast or reduces the number of districts from which council members shall be elected.
   2.   Changes the veto power of the mayor.
   3.   Changes the law of succession to the mayoralty.
   4.   Abolishes an elective office, or changes the method of nominating, electing or removing an elective officer, or changes the term of an elective officer, or reduces the salary of an elective officer during his or her term of office.
   5.   Abolishes, transfers or curtails any power of an elective officer.
   6.   Creates a new elective office.
   7.   Changes a provision of law relating to public utility franchises.
   8.   Changes a provision of law relating to the membership or terms of office of the city civil service commission.
   9.   Reduces the salary or compensation of a city officer or employee or increases the hours of employment or changes the working conditions of such officer or employee if such salary, compensation, hours or conditions have been fixed by a state statute and approved by the vote of the qualified electors of the city; and no provision effecting such reductions, increases or changes contained in any local law or proposed new charter shall become effective unless the definite question with respect to such reductions, increases or changes shall be separately submitted and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
   10.   Provides a new charter for the city.
   11.   Transfers powers vested by this charter in an agency the head of which is appointed by the mayor to an agency the head of which is not so appointed or vice versa, other than transfers of power authorized by this charter from an agency the head of which is appointed by the mayor to a community board, borough president or a borough board.
   12.   Dispenses with a provision of this charter requiring a public notice and hearing as a condition precedent to official action.
   13.   Dispenses with a requirement of this charter for public bidding or for public letting of contracts except as otherwise provided pursuant to chapter thirteen of this charter.
   14.   Changes a provision of this charter governing the classes or character of city bonds or other obligations, the purposes for which or the amount in which any class of obligations may be issued.
   15.   Removes restrictions in this charter on the sale, lease or other disposition of city property.
   16.   Curtails the powers of the city planning commission, or changes the vote in the council required to take action without or contrary to the recommendation of the city planning commission.
   18.   Repeals or amends sections twenty-six hundred one, twenty-six hundred four, twenty-six hundred five, and twenty-six hundred six insofar as they relate to elected officials and section twenty-six hundred two.
Section 39. Reconsideration.
At any time prior to the election at which a local law is to be submitted to the electors for approval pursuant to this charter, the council, not later than fifteen days prior to the election, may reconsider its action thereon and repeal such local law without submission to the mayor, whereupon the proposition for its approval shall not be submitted at such election, or if submitted the vote of the electors thereon shall be without effect.
Section 40. Amendment of charter.
Amendments to this charter may be adopted by any of the following methods:
   1.   By local law adopted in accordance with the provisions of this charter.
   2.   By vote of the electors of the city upon the petition of electors of the city, an amendment may be adopted.
      (a)   in relation to the manner of voting for the elective officers of the city or any of them, or
      (b)   abolishing any elective office or offices or creating a new office or offices, including if so provided a transfer of powers to the newly created office or offices or a disposition of the powers of any office abolished, but no such amendment shall repeal or change any limitations contained in this charter on any power.
      (c)   such amendment may be adopted in the manner following:
         (1)   Not less than fifty thousand qualified electors of the city may file in the office of the city clerk a petition for the submission to the electors of the city at the next general election therein held not less than sixty days after filing of such petition of such a proposed amendment or amendments to the charter to be set forth in full in the petition. The petition may be made upon separate sheets and the signatures of each shall be authenticated in the manner provided by the Election Law for the authentication of designating petitions. The several sheets so signed and authenticated when fastened together and offered for filing shall be deemed to constitute one petition. A signature made earlier than one hundred twenty days before the filing of the petition shall not be counted. If within ten days after the filing of such petition a written objection thereto be filed with the office of the city clerk, the Supreme Court or any justice thereof of the first, second or eleventh judicial district shall determine any question arising thereunder and make such order as justice may require. Such proceedings shall be heard and determined in the manner prescribed by the election law in relation to judicial proceedings thereunder.
         (2)   If such proposed amendment or amendments receive the affirmative vote of the majority of the qualified electors of the city voting thereon, it or they shall take effect as prescribed therein.
   3.   In such other manner as may be provided by law.
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