NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Administrative divisions of New York

Administrative divisions of New York State differ from those in certain other countries and most U.S. states, leading to misunderstandings regarding the governmental nature of an area. Some of the subordinate political divisions of New York have executive, legislative and judicial branches, as does the state government. Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Libertarian Party State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... NY redirects here. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The judiciary, also referred to as the judicature, consists of justices, judges and magistrates among other types of adjudicators. ...

Whether a municipality is a city, town or village is not dependent on population or area, but on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the state legislature. New York State considers counties, cities, towns and villages to be "municipal corporations" and "general purpose" units of local government. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. ... The city of Chicago, as seen from the sky A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... Masouleh village, Gilan Province, Iran. ... NY redirects here. ... Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state or province. ...

County

Map of the counties of New York State (click for larger version)

The county is the primary administrative division of New York State. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of New York City and do not have functioning county governments. Counties contain a number of towns and may also contain cities. Towns may contain incorporated villages and unincorporated hamlets. Every county has a county seat, often a populous or centrally located city or village, where the county government is located. In some counties, a hamlet is the county seat. Download high resolution version (937x735, 48 KB)Map of New York counties from Census Bureau at http://www. ... Download high resolution version (937x735, 48 KB)Map of New York counties from Census Bureau at http://www. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ...

Counties are responsible for certain functions of planning and governance for all areas within their borders that are not delegated to lower levels of government. These often include overall planning, police service, social welfare, and coordination of special and extended education service, as well as some court services. For planning in AI see computer planning Planning is the (psychological) process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired future on some scale. ... ... Special education consists of educational programs designed to support students whose singular needs or disabilities require special teaching approaches, equipment, or care within a regular classroom or in other appropriate settings. ...

According to the State of New York Local Government Handbook, "The county is now a municipal corporation with geographical jurisdiction, homerule powers and fiscal capacity to provide a wide range of services to its residents. To some extent, counties have evolved into a form of 'regional' government that performs specified functions and which encompasses, but does not necessarily supersede, the jurisdiction of the cities, towns and villages within its borders."

Twenty-seven counties of the State operate under the general provisions of the County Law. Twenty counties have County Charters. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties as of 2006^[1] are Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Chemung,Dutchess,Erie,Herkimer, Monroe, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tompkins, and Westchester. Location in the state of New York Formed November 1, 1683 Seat Albany Area - Total - Water 1,381 kmÂ² (533 miÂ²) 25 kmÂ² (10 miÂ²) 1. ... Broome County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Chautauqua County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Erie County is a county located in the state of New York. ... Herkimer County is a county located in the state of New York. ... Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York. ... Oneida County is a county located in the state of New York. ... Location in the state of New York Formed 1794 Seat Syracuse Area - Total - Water 2,087 kmÂ² (806 miÂ²) 66 kmÂ² (25 miÂ²) 3. ... The Orange County Government Center in Goshen, N.Y., designed by Paul Rudolph. ... Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York . ... Rensselaer County is a county in the state of New York. ... The Tappan Zee Bridge, in a view looking toward Rockland. ... Location in the state of New York Formed 1809 Seat Schenectady Area - Total - Water 543 kmÂ² (210 miÂ²) 9 kmÂ² (4 miÂ²) 1. ... Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ...

A county is usually governed by a county executive and legislature. Also the counties have a county court with associated county prosecutors. A legislature is a type of deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ...

In some counties, the legislature is the Board of Supervisors, composed of town and city supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the principle of "one person, one vote". Other counties, also in the interest of maintaining "one person, one vote", have legislative districts of equal population which may cross municipal borders. Some counties do not use the term "Board of Supervisors", but instead call their legislative body "Board of Representatives", "Board of Legislators," or "County Legislature". In some counties, the legislature is the board of supervisors. ...

In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to a county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter.

See also: List of New York counties Map of the counties of New York State (click for larger version) There are sixty-two counties in the State of New York. ...

City

In New York State, a city is a highly autonomous incorporated area usually contained within a county. It provides almost all services to its residents and has the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over its residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters, which can differ widely among cities, while villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law. Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities (except for the City of Sherrill) are independent of towns. Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. This arrangement should not lead to the misunderstanding that the city is somehow subordinate to or a part of the town. The city of Chicago, as seen from the sky A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ... An autonomous (subnational) entity is a subnational entity that has a certain amount of autonomy. ... Residency is a stage of postgraduate medical training in North America which leads to eligibility for board certification in a primary care or referral specialty. ... In law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius, iuris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak) is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area... Sherrill is a city located in Oneida County, New York. ...

There are sixty-two cities in the state. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted New York City and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. 1686 (MDCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... Location in Albany County and the State of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York County Albany Founded 1614 Incorporated 1686 Government - Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Area - City 21. ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The forms of government cities can have are council-manager, strong mayor-council, weak mayor-council or commission. Forty-five cities, the majority, use the mayor-council form, in which the mayor is the executive and city council members form the legislature. In some of these cities, the mayor serves only a ceremonial role. Larger cities have city courts. A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ...

New York City is a special case. The city consists of the entire area of five counties. These counties retain a small amount of governance as boroughs. Under the state legislation, commonly called Consolidation, that allowed the city (as the City of Greater New York) to annex huge areas beyond its original borders (including smaller cities, towns and villages) in 1898, the State of New York retains certain powers over the city. At the time of Consolidation, Queens County was split between the western towns, which voted to join the city, and those that did not. The next year (1899), the eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County. Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... The City of Greater New York, both corporately and commonly now described simply as the City of New York or New York City, describes the expanded city created in 1898 by the incorporation of Richmond County, Kings County and part of Queens County into the city. ... Annexation is the legal merging of some territory into another body. ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ... Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York. ...

Cities in New York State are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places and as county division equivalents (except for New York City).

See also: List of cities in New York This List of cities in New York State, USA, is an alphabetic list that also gives the primary county in which each city is located. ...

Town

Map of New York State, showing population density (click for larger version)

In New York State, a town is the major division of each county. Towns provide or arrange for most municipal services for residents of hamlets and other unincorporated areas, and selected services for residents of villages. All residents of New York who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. As of the 2000 census, there are 932 towns in New York. Unlike villages, towns cannot cross county borders, since they are part of each county. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (792x660, 46 KB) Summary Population distribution of New York State, based on Census 2000. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (792x660, 46 KB) Summary Population distribution of New York State, based on Census 2000. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... BIA map of reservations in the United States Tribal sovereignty: Map of the United States, with non-reservation land highlighted. ...

Towns lack an executive branch of government. The town board exercises both executive and legislative functions. The town supervisor presides over the board, but does not possess veto or tie-breaking power. The judicial branch is known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system.

A town can contain zero, one or multiple villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village: Green Island in Albany County; East Rochester in Monroe County; and Scarsdale, Harrison and Mount Kisco in Westchester County. When such an entity is formed, a referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government (which will exercise the powers of both). Green Island is a village and a town located in Albany County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,278. ... Location in the state of New York Formed November 1, 1683 Seat Albany Area - Total - Water 1,381 kmÂ² (533 miÂ²) 25 kmÂ² (10 miÂ²) 1. ... Coordinates: Country United States State New York County Monroe Settled 1897 (as Despatch) Incorporated 1906 Government - Mayor David Bonacchi Area - Town/Village 1. ... Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Scarsdale is both a town and village in Westchester County, New York, USA postal code 10583. ... Harrison is a village located in Westchester County, New York. ... Mount Kisco is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ...

Towns vary in size and population. The largest town (by area), the Town of Brookhaven, covers 531.5 square miles (1,376.6 km²) (half of that, however, is water — the Town of Webb has the most land area at 451 square miles (1,167 km²)). The smallest, the I GOT U HAHA U CANT CATCH ME Town of Green Island, covers only 0.7 of a square mile (1.8 km²). The Town of Hempstead has about 756,000 people (2000 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City. The Town of Red House, the least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2000 census). Brookhaven, New York is a town (county subdivision) in central Suffolk County, New York. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Webb is a town located in Herkimer County, New York. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Green Island is a village and a town located in Albany County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,278. ... The Town of Hempstead is one of the three towns (otherwise known as civil townships) in Nassau County, New York, United States. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... Red House is a town located in Cattaraugus County, New York. ...

The word "town" itself may be used informally to refer to any settlement. "A night on the town" could very well mean visiting New York City. "Going into town" could refer to a trip to a village's main built-up area. Many places containing the word "town" in their name are not towns. Examples include several Allentowns, Cooperstown of Baseball Hall of Fame fame, and Elizabethtown, a hamlet in the town of the same name. Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York and is the County Seat. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... Elizabethtown is a hamlet located in the Town of Elizabethtown in Essex County, New York. ...

A town in New York State is equivalent to a civil township in certain other states. Towns in New York State are classified by the Census Bureau as minor civil divisions. A civil township is a widely-used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to a county. ... Minor civil division (MCD) is a term used by the United States Census Bureau to designate the primary governmental and/or administrative subdivisions of a county, such as a civil township, precinct, or magisterial district. ...

See also: List of towns in New York As of the 2000 census, there are 932 towns in the state of New York. ...

Village

In New York State, a village is an incorporated area which is usually, but not always, within a single town. A village is a clearly defined municipality that provides the services closest to the residents, such as garbage collection, street and highway maintenance, street lighting and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other optional services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. Those municipal services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, there are 553 villages in New York. Masouleh village, Gilan Province, Iran. ...

The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of a mayor and (usually) four trustees. The mayor may vote in business before the board and may break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless provided by local law. The mayor is also the executive of the village. A village may also have a full-time village manager, who performs administrative duties which would normally fall upon the mayor. A village must have a municipal building or village hall. Villages may also have a village justice.

To be incorporated as a village, a territory (i.e., given area) must have at least 500 inhabitants and be no more than 5 square miles (13 km²) in area (though there are exceptions to the area rule, such as if an entire town wishes to incorporate as a village). The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. It is then voted upon by those living in the territory. Currently, some villages have less than a 500 person population due to loss of inhabitants.

Villages often cross other political boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are divided between two counties. The village of Saranac Lake is in three towns and two counties. The village of Saranac Lake, bottom, with Lower Saranac Lake, above, from Baker Mountain, to the East. ...

A village in New York State is comparable to a town in certain other states, or a boro(ugh) in certain other states. Villages in New York State are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places.

See also: List of villages in New York List of villages in New York, arranged in alphabetical order. ...

Hamlet

In New York State, a hamlet is a populated area within a town that is not part of a village. The term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law (unlike cities, towns and villages), but is often used in the state's statutes to refer to well-known populated sections of towns that are not incorporated as villages. A hamlet is (usually â€” see below) a small settlement, too small or unimportant to be considered a village. ...

A hamlet has no legal status (except in the Adirondack Park Agency's land-use classifications) and depends upon the town that contains it for municipal services and government. A hamlet could be described as the rural or suburban equivalent of a neighborhood in a city or village. The area of a hamlet may not be exactly defined and may simply be contained within the zip code of its post office, or may be defined by its school or fire district. Residents of a hamlet often identify themselves more closely with the hamlet than with the town. Some hamlets proximate to urban areas are sometimes continuous with their cities and appear to be neighborhoods, but they still are under the control of the town. The Adirondack Park, is a large park in northeast New York. ...

Hamlets are sometimes called unincorporated communities. In fact, some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation (Old Forge in Herkimer County, Rosendale in Ulster County, and Andes in Delaware County, for example). Their land area, though, is within the jurisdiction of a town, which is considered a municipal corporation under state law. For census purposes, the area around a hamlet may be formally defined as a census-designated place, although most are not. A census location may have the same name as a hamlet, but the area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau may differ somewhat from the local understanding of the hamlet. This is because hamlets do not have fixed boundaries and area defined by the census is generally based on population density and may include a larger or smaller area than the local understanding of the hamlet. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with unincorporated. ... Old Forge is a hamlet on Route 28 in the Town of Webb in Herkimer County, New York. ... Herkimer County is a county located in the state of New York. ... Rosendale Village is a census-designated place located in Ulster County, New York. ... Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the states beautiful Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. ... Andes, New York may refer to either: The Town of Andes located in Delaware County, New York or The Hamlet of Andes located within the Town of Andes. ... Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ... 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Under common usage, most communities called hamlets above are actually known by most people as (unincorporated) villages.^{[citation needed]}

The New York State Gazetteer, published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, provides a semi-official list of hamlets in the state.^[2] However, many small unincorporated communities are omitted, and there are errors: for example, Onondaga Valley, listed as a hamlet in the town of Onondaga, was in fact annexed to Syracuse in 1926. The criteria for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Town of Onondaga is located southwest of the city of Syracuse in Onondaga County, New York. ... Nickname: The Salt City Location of Syracuse within the state of New York Coordinates: City Government - Mayor Matthew Driscoll Area - City 66. ...

Other named places

New York contains many named localities which do not merit even the vaguely defined term "hamlet." These locations are often historic, being former post offices, depopulated communities, or cross roads important in an earlier period. Others may represent newly developed housing tracts that eventually might be considered a hamlet, or may eventually incorporate as villages.

Divisions unique to New York City

Borough

A Borough is a division of New York City only and not New York State or of any other city in the state. A borough reflects the unique way in which New York City has grown--by absorbing adjacent counties. Each of the five boroughs of New York City is coextensive with one of its five counties. Under the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. The Five Boroughs of New York City: 1: Manhattan 2: Brooklyn 3: Queens 4: Bronx 5: Staten Island In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government used to administer the five constituent counties that make up the city; it differs significantly from other borough forms of... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area...

The Bronx (Bronx County)
Brooklyn (Kings County)
Manhattan (New York County)
Queens (Queens County)
Staten Island (Richmond County)

See: Borough (New York City) Housing projects in the infamous South Bronx area. ... Brooklyn (named for the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Queens Borough in New York City, in yellow Queens is one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA. Geographically the largest borough in the city, Queens is home to many immigrants and two of New Yorks major airports. ... Staten Island, in yellow, lies to the southwest of the rest of New York City. ... The Five Boroughs of New York City: 1: Manhattan 2: Brooklyn 3: Queens 4: Bronx 5: Staten Island In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government used to administer the five constituent counties that make up the city; it differs significantly from other borough forms of...

The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in the consolidated city that was formed in 1898. Each borough individually elects a borough president. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate, but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Likewise, the boroughs and their residents have little distinct power within the city. According to the State of New York Local Government Handbook, "The five boroughs of the City of New York function as counties for certain purposes, although they are not organized as such nor do they operate as county governments." Borough President is an elective office in New York City. ... The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City, responsible for budget and land-use decisions. ...

The most distinctive feature of a typical county retained by New York City boroughs is the popular election of a separate district attorney for each borough. Each of the five New York City district attorneys prosecutes crimes in the name of the county rather than the name of the borough (for example, the district attorney for the borough of Brooklyn is called the Kings County District Attorney). A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ...

Community board

Community boards are what the New York City government Web site refers to as "local representative bodies." The community boards, however, are unelected. Each board consists of fifty unpaid members appointed by the borough president. Half of the members are nominated by the City Council members who represent the area. The power of the community boards is very limited. They serve in an advisory capacity regarding land use and zoning, budget and various concerns of the community. The boards can recommend action on the part of the city government, but they cannot enforce it. There are fifty-nine community boards, identified by borough name and a number (e.g. Manhattan Community Board 3). The Manhattan Community Board 3 is a local governement unit of the city of New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Tompkins Square, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown and Two Bridges, in the borough of Manhattan. ...

Special purpose units of government

In New York State, special purpose units of government provide specialized services only to those who live in the district, and are empowered to tax residents of the district for the services provided in common. Special districts often cross the lines of towns, villages, and hamlets, and occasionally cities or counties.

School districts

School districts are the most common kind of special district. They provide, arrange or contract for all public education services, including special education and school transportation, the latter also for non-public schools. School Districts are a form of Special-purpose district in the United States which serves to operate the local public primary, middle, and secondary schools. ...

School districts are rarely precisely coextensive with the cities, towns, villages or hamlets that bear the same name, meaning that a person living in one hamlet or village might send their children to a school associated with a different hamlet or village. Residents pay school taxes to the same school district in which they live and their children attend school.

All but five school districts are separate from municipal governments. The exceptions are the five cities whose populations exceed 125,000 (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers), in which education is part of the municipal budget.

Schools in New York City are controlled by the New York City Department of Education, and the city is divided by the department into 11 "school regions" (10 geographic regions and a "District 75" for handicapped students)^[1] Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... The New York City Department of Education is a department of the city of New York which runs almost all of the citys public schools. ...

There are several types of school districts in the state, each with slightly different laws.

Common school districts

Common school districts are not authorized to operate high schools. They must, therefore, contract with neighboring school districts to provide secondary education for pupils in the district. This is the oldest type of district, and was quite common in the 20th century, but there are only 11 left as of 1999. Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ...

Union free school districts

A union free school district is a district resulting from a "union" of multiple common school districts, "free" from the restrictions that previously barred them from operating high schools. In January 2000, there were 151 school districts of this type. 31 provided only elementary education, despite the original intent of "freeing" them from such restrictions. Unlike common school districts, each union free school district is governed by a board of education. Each board must have at least three but not more than nine members.^[2] A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors of a school, local school district or higher administrative level. ...

Central School Districts

Not to be confused with Central High School districts, these are the most common type of school district in New York State.^[3] These may have been formed from any number (including one) of common, union free, and/or central school districts. Apart from a few minor differences, they follow the same laws as union free school districts.

City School Districts

There are two types of City School Districts, those in cities with over 125,000 people and those in cities with fewer than 125,000 people. Districts for cities with over 125,000 people are coterminous with the city limits, and education is part of the municipal budget. These districts cannot incur debts or levy taxes.

Districts for cities with fewer than 125,000 people are separate from the municipal government and are authorized to levy taxes and incur debt. Each of them is governed by an elected board of education. They all operate high schools. Districts for smaller cities often extend beyond the city borders and are officially called "enlarged city school districts" (for example, Newburgh) or "central city school districts". A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors of a school, local school district or higher administrative level. ... Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York. ...

Central high school districts

There are only four central high school districts in New York state—three in Nassau and one in Suffolk. These districts provide secondary education to students in two or more common or union free districts. Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York. ... Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. ...

Supervisory school districts

Owing to the extremely large number (705) of school districts, many of which are quite small, most of them are organized into 38 supervisory districts. Each of these has a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Each BOCES provides services which are considered difficult for the member school districts to provide on its own, often including special classes for students with disabilities.

Fire districts

Fire districts are public corporations which generally provide fire protection and other emergency response in towns outside villages. Villages generally provide their own fire protection, but joint town-village fire districts are permitted. A fire district can levy taxes and incur debt. Although they operate under certain fiscal restrictions, these districts enjoy a great deal of autonomy in budgeting. The town which the district serves receives the budget and collects the taxes but has no power to amend the budget. The district is governed by a board of elected commissioners.

Fire protection districts

A fire protection district is established by a town board in order to contract fire protection services with any city, village, fire district or incorporated fire company.

Public benefit corporations/authorities

Full article at New York State public benefit corporations. New York State public benefit corporations and authorities operate like quasi-private corporations, generally with boards appointed by elected officials. ...

Public benefit corporations in New York State operate like quasi-private corporations, generally with boards appointed by elected officials. They are a form of government bureaucracy in one sense but, unlike government agencies, public benefit corporations are exempt from some regulations. Of particular importance, they can take out their own debt, allowing them to bypass legal limits on state debt. This allows them to make potentially risky capital and infrastructure investments without putting so much of the credit of New York City or New York State on the line. However, it also allows them to avoid many of the oversight and reporting regulations which apply to state government. New York State public benefit corporations and authorities operate like quasi-private corporations, generally with boards appointed by elected officials. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th) - Land 122,409 km² - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area...

Public benefit corporations get charters from New York State and are usually designed to perform a specific, narrow function in the public interest. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority manages public transportation in the New York Metropolitan Area (this includes the New York Subway and public bus systems, as well as MTA Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road, and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority). The New York State Thruway Authority originally only maintained the New York State Thruway from New York City to the Pennsylvania border southwest of Buffalo, but due to budgetary maneuvering, now maintains the toll-free I-84 corridor, also. The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority manages much of the public transportation in and around Syracuse. Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the name of a governmental or quasi-governmental body in each of several areas: Metropolitan Transit Authority of Boston Massachusetts, now the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority — Boston, Massachusetts Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority — Los Angeles County, California Metropolitan Transportation Authority — New York... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... South Ferry station 125th Street station The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system in New York City, New York, United States. ... Marble Hill station Metro-North (officially MTA Metro-North Railroad) is a suburban commuter railroad running service from New York City to the northern suburbs in New York State and Connecticut. ... An M3 railcar The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR (often referred to as the L-I-double-R) is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York, United States. ... The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, described to the public by the popular name MTA Bridges and Tunnels, or MTA B&T, is an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a public benefit corporation, that operates all intrastate toll bridges in New York City. ... NY Thruway Sign New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) looking east from Nordkop Mountain, Suffern, New York The New York State Thruway (officially the Thomas E. Dewey Thruway) is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of New York. ... New York Thruway Trailblazer The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway) is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of New York. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, known as CENTRO, is the operator of mass transit in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, and Oneida counties in New York state. ... Nickname: The Salt City Location of Syracuse within the state of New York Coordinates: City Government - Mayor Matthew Driscoll Area - City 66. ...

Library districts

Library districts are usually coextensive with the same school district but raise taxes separately and serve all the residents of the library district (save Newburgh, where the library is run directly by the school district out of its budget). They often form cooperative associations with other library districts for shared services, purchasing and cross-library lending. Newburgh is both a city and a town in Orange County, New York. ...

Other types of special purpose units

Other special districts may include emergency rescue squads, sanitation, police, water, and sewer.

Home rule

Incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., counties, cities, towns and villages) in New York State have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of New York. Articles IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as the "Home Rule" article) and VIII (titled "Local Finances") of the State Constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Constitution of the United States of America Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ...

The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted the power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations.

Census-designated place

A census-designated place (CDP) is an area defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, without any legal consequences. In New York State, a CDP is a part of a town outside any villages. The CDP may contain the entirety of the town outside any villages (only for those towns that actually do contain villages), and it may cross town and county borders. A CDP cannot be any part of a city or a village, nor can it be the entirety of a town. CDPs usually resemble cities or villages in population density and structure. CDPs were formerly called unincorporated places. A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

See also: List of census-designated places in New York As of the 2000 census, there are 434 census-designated places (CDPs) in New York State. ...

Notes

^ http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/charter_counties.html
^ (1995) New York State Gazetteer. Albany, NY: New York State Department of Health. Available at New York State Library Digital Image Project.
^ http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss/pdfs/Handbook.pdf#page=112

External links

New York State government links

General local government information

State of N.Y., Local Govt. Handbook, 5th ed., Jan. 2000 (PDF, 1.43 MB, from N.Y.S. Dept. of State)—best comprehensive source aside from the state laws
Division of Local Government, Department of State
Citizen's Access to Local Government — links to N.Y.S. local govt. Web sites

Portable Document Format (PDF), sometimes mistaken for Printable Document Format, is an open file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 and is now being prepared for submission as an ISO standard[1]. It is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a device independent and resolution independent fixed-layout... A megabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to exactly one million bytes. ...

New York State Constitution

The articles of the New York State Constitution [3] which most closely affect local government are: Wikisource has original text related to this article: New York Constitution The New York State constitution establishes the structure of the government of New York State, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. ...

New York State Consolidated Laws

The New York State Consolidated Laws [4] which most closely affect local government are

Encyclopedia > Administrative divisions of New York

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