Where
To Go For Help For problems ranging
from potholes to immigration issues, the borough’s elected officials are
there to help. CITY COUNCIL The City Council is the legislative branch of City government – the branch that includes representatives from the different parts of the borough. In Queens, there are 14 councilmembers. Those councilmembers are up for re-election every four years, and can serve a maximum of eight years. You would call a councilman, for example, if you are having trouble with a city agency, if there’s a pothole that needs fixing, if there’s a tree that need pruning, if there’s a problem at your child’s school, if you are having a problem with a neighbor, if you’re trash hasn’t been picked up, and so on. You should also call your councilman to express opinions on city laws, which are written by the Council.
The Different Levels Of
Local Government The State Legislature The State Senate and State Assembly make up the two branches of New York State’s legislative branch, the State Legislature. The two branches draft and pass State laws and pass the State budget in Albany. They can also raise and lower State taxes. There are two branches of the State Legislature to allow for "checks and balances" in government, or to make sure that laws are written fairly by having two separate bodies look at them independently. In Queens, there are 18 members of the State Assembly, and seven members of the State Senate. Members of both houses are elected every two years, and are not term limited. You would call members of the State Legislature if you’re having problems with a State agency, if you have questions or comments about State laws, if you are having trouble with worker’s compensation, EZ-Pass, unemployment insurance, education or health care issues. State Legislators also get involved with some local issues, particularly if they have to do with the State budget or public safety.
State Senate Frank Padavan (11th
Dist.) Serphin Maltese (15th
Dist.) Toby Stavisky (16th
Dist.) State Assembly Barry Grodenchik (22nd
Dist.) Audrey Pheffer (23rd
Dist.,two district offices) Nettie Mayersohn (27th
Dist.) Michael Cohen (28th
Dist.) Marge Markey (30th
Dist.) Vivian Cook (32nd Dist.) Barbara Clark (33rd
Dist.) Ivan Lafayette (34th
Dist.) Jeffrion Aubry (35th
Dist.) Anthony Seminerio (38th
Dist.) Catherine Nolan (37th
Dist.) Jose Peralta (39th
Dist.) Congress The House of Representatives and Senate are the two branches that make up the United States’ legislative branch, the Congress. The two branches write Federal laws and work on the Federal budget. They also can raise or lower Federal taxes. The Senate includes 100 representatives – two from each state. In New York, Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton currently represent all five boroughs, as well as upstate New York. They are up for re-election every six years, and are not term limited. The House of Representatives has 435 members, including six that represent at least parts of Queens. The number representing each State can change every 10 years depending on the Census – the higher the population of a State, the more representatives it has. Representatives are elected every two years and are not term limited. For the names and addresses of Queens Representatives, turn to page 23. You would call a member of Congress if you have a comment on the country’s policies of if you would like to get involved in a nationwide issue. You would also call Congress with immigration issues, passport issues, healthcare issues, transportation issues and military issues. Five of the six members of the House of Representatives in Queens have offices in the borough. Neither State Senator does.
The Borough President The Queens Borough President acts as a leader of the borough. While the borough president does not make laws or vote on them, she does provide input to the Mayor and City Council on what the borough needs. You would call the Borough President, who is currently Helen Marshall, if you’re having a problem with a local agency, if your organization is in need of funding, if you’re having trouble with housing or if you are not getting response from the city on a problem. She will call attention to that problem.
The Mayor The Mayor is the executive branch of New York City government. He signs off on laws, and acts as the leader of the five boroughs. Currently, Mike Bloomberg is mayor. You would call him if you have a citywide issue that you would like dealt with, like the city budget, taxes, or issues with city agencies.
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