albany ny government

The judicial branch of the government is based in Albany, and although it mirrors most other state court systems in many areas, the New York State judicial system has some unique elements. In most States, the Supreme Court is named for the highest and most powerful court in the system, but in New York, the lowest courts are named Supreme Courts. The court which is usually called the Supreme Court is called the Court of Appeals, a differentiation which is often the source of confusion. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges – one Chief and six Associates – who are all appointed by the governor to a 14-year term.

The executive branch, based around the Governor, is based in the Executive Mansion located in Albany. The Governor is responsible for submitting an initial budget, which is sent to the Legislature to be debated, rejected, ratified or amended. The New York State Governor has all the powers associated with Governorship, including the responsibility to enforce the law, conduct foreign relations, command the armed forces ( national guard ), appoint state officials, issue executive orders, and veto legislation.

The legislative branch is broken down into two houses – the assembly ( the lower house ) and the senate ( the upper house ). Both houses are located in the New York State Capitol Buildings. There are several requirements prior to running for a seat in the Legislature: 1) you must be a citizen of the United States, 2) a resident of New York State for five years, and 3) a resident of the district at least one year prior to running. The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the Governor’s veto, and propose Constitutional amendments.

The lower Assembly consists of 150 members, each elected from a single-member district. Because the districts are directly tied to population density, New York City produces the majority of seats in the Assembly. Pragmatically speaking, the Democrats, centered in, and around, New York City, have controlled the Assembly for some time. Holding a 105-44 ( 1 currently vacant ) supermajority, the Democrats have had a concrete control of this house of the Legislature for over 30 years. There are three leadership positions in the Assembly: the Speaker ( from the majority party ), the Majority Leader and Minority Leader.

The upper Senate actually has no set amount of members, instead relying on a complex equation to decide how many members there will be from year to year. The Constitution dictates there will be at least 50 Senators, but any county which would by virtue of population be entitled to more representation, they are granted more Senators on a sliding scale. Currently, there are 12 additional Senators above 50, making the total 62. The Republicans have a strong control on the Senate, mainly because the large Upstate New York region, which has many of the Senate seats, is strongly Republican. The Senate is presided over by the President, who is the State Lieutenant Governor, who is usually not present. In their absence, the Temporary President ( who is also the Majority Leader ) controls the Senate, along with the Minority Leader.

In addition to the State government being based in Albany, Albany has its own City government and is the seat of the County government. Albany County is about 533 square miles, extending southward and westward from the point where the Mohawk River and Hudson join. It eastern boundary is the Hudson River, while a portion of its northern boundary is the Mohawk River. The County government consists of a County Executive and a 39-member County Legislature, all of which are elected to a 4-year term. On top of those elected positions, the County Sheriff, District Attorney and Comptroller are also elected. The Albany County Legislature meets on a monthly basis, prior to which the Legislature holds a public forum/town hall meeting to allow the public to speak on the issues being voted on. There are 10 standing committees, as well as any additional special sub-committees, all of which meet monthly and are open to the public.

The City of Albany Common Council has 15 elected officials, one representing each ward, and is chaired by the Common Council President, who is elected in a citywide contest. The leadership of the Council consists of the President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader. The Common Council meets the first and third Monday of each month in City Hall, and generally consists of a public comment period and then a discussion of legislation before the Council.

If you are interested in government or the democratic process, only Washington, D.C. offers more of an opportunity to view it close up. The New York State government has long been the breeding ground for future national political stars, as well the starting point and home of many historic lawyers and judges. In additional to a large scale governmental system, two levels of local government are at your fingers waiting to be viewed. Albany’s governmental history goes all the way back to the founding of this country - and this democratic tradition continues into this day.