The New York City Council
The City Council is the Congress of New York City. And like Congress, there is a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, a Majority and Minority Leader, and a Majority and Minority Whip. Don’t worry, I explain what each of these mean below.
There are also 38 committees within the Council that oversee the operations of the City. Check out my post about the functions of NYC local government, if you haven’t already.
Speaker
Adrienne Adams (D)
The Speaker is the leader of the City Council. They set the legislative priorities, preside over Council meetings and direct public money for the benefit of New Yorkers. They’re considered to be the second most powerful elected official, after the Mayor. The Speaker can check the Mayor and block bills. To become Speaker of the Council, you must be a Council Member and be elected by Council Members. Only 26 votes are needed to win.
Adrienne Adams is the first black woman to serve as Speaker of the City Council. As Councilwoman, she represents southeast Queens – Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and South Ozone Park.
Deputy Speaker
Diana Ayala (D)
The Deputy Speaker is what it sounds like. They step in, in the absence of the Speaker. This position is appointed by the Speaker, and was just created this year. Diana Ayala is the first person to hold it. She was born in Puerto Rico and as Council Member, she represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx.
Majority and Minority Leader
Leaders are the spokespersons of their party. They represent their party’s positions and organize the party’s legislative priorities. In NYC, the City Council is mostly Democrat, meaning that the Majority Leader is a Democrat, and the Minority Leader of the Council is Republican.
Leaders are selected by the Speaker of the Council.
Majority Leader (D)
Minority Leader (R)
Majority and Minority Whip
Think of whips like your hall monitors back in school (sb: do they still even have those?). Whips maintain order and discipline in the Council. They make sure that everyone is doing what they’re supposed to in terms of voting and attending meetings.
Same as the Leaders, the Majority and Minority Whip represent the majority and minority parties of the Council, respectively, and they are also appointed by the Speaker of the Council.
Majority Whip (D)
Minority Whip (R)