New York City Council


The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model, oversees the performance of city agencies' land use decisions, and legislates on a variety of other issues. It also has sole responsibility for approving the city budget. Members elected are limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office but may run again after a four-year respite.
The head of the city council is called the speaker. The current speaker is Julie Menin, a Democrat from the 5th district and the first speaker of Jewish descent. The speaker sets the agenda and presides at city council meetings, and all proposed legislation is submitted through the Speaker's Office. Majority Leader Kamillah Hanks leads the chamber's Democratic majority. Minority Leader David Carr was elected to lead the five Republican council members on January 28, 2025, however the vote was disputed due to a quorum not being present.
As of 2025, the council has 35 standing committees and 4 subcommittees, with oversight of various functions of the city government. Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing committees meet at least once per month. The speaker of the council, the majority leader, and the minority leader are all ex officio members of every committee.
Council members are elected every four years. The exception is two consecutive two-year terms every twenty years to allow for redistricting after each national census.

Composition

An asterisk next to the election year denotes a special election. A double asterisk next to the election year means the member took office after certification to fill the remainder of an unexpired term.
DistrictMemberPartyResidenceBoroughElectedTerm limitedMap
1DemocraticLower East SideManhattan20212029
2DemocraticEast VillageManhattan2025**2033
3DemocraticChelseaManhattan20212029
4DemocraticLenox HillManhattan20252033
5DemocraticUpper East SideManhattan20212029
6DemocraticUpper West SideManhattan20212029
7DemocraticManhattan ValleyManhattan20212029
8DemocraticEast HarlemThe Bronx
Manhattan		20252033
9DemocraticCentral HarlemManhattan20232033
10DemocraticInwoodManhattan20212029
11DemocraticRiverdaleThe Bronx2021*2029
12DemocraticCo-Op CityThe Bronx2020*2029
13Shirley AldebolDemocraticThroggs NeckThe Bronx20252033
14DemocraticFordham HeightsThe Bronx20212029
15DemocraticFordhamThe Bronx2021*2029
16DemocraticMorrisaniaThe Bronx20212029
17DemocraticMelroseThe Bronx20252033
18DemocraticSoundviewThe Bronx20212029
19RepublicanWhitestoneQueens20212029
20DemocraticFlushingQueens20212029
21DemocraticEast ElmhurstQueens20252033
22DemocraticWoodsideQueens
The Bronx		2021**2029
23DemocraticOakland GardensQueens20212029
24DemocraticJamaica EstatesQueens2021*2029
25DemocraticJackson HeightsQueens20212029
26DemocraticSunnysideQueens20212029
27DemocraticCambria HeightsQueens20212029
28DemocraticSouth Ozone ParkQueens20252033
29DemocraticForest HillsQueens20212029
30DemocraticElmhurstQueens20252033
31DemocraticRockaway BeachQueens2021*2029
32RepublicanHoward BeachQueens20212029
33DemocraticGreenpointBrooklyn20212029
34DemocraticWilliamsburgBrooklyn
Queens		20212029
35DemocraticProspect HeightsBrooklyn20212029
36DemocraticCrown HeightsBrooklyn20212029
37DemocraticCypress HillsBrooklyn20212029
38DemocraticSunset ParkBrooklyn20212029
39DemocraticKensingtonBrooklyn20212029
40DemocraticFlatbushBrooklyn20212029
41DemocraticBedford StuyvesantBrooklyn20212029
42DemocraticEast New YorkBrooklyn20232033
43DemocraticBensonhurstBrooklyn20232033
44DemocraticBorough ParkBrooklyn2025*2033
45DemocraticFlatbushBrooklyn2019*2029
46DemocraticCanarsieBrooklyn20212029
47DemocraticBay RidgeBrooklyn20252033
48RepublicanSheepshead BayBrooklyn2021**2029
49DemocraticStapletonStaten Island20212029
50RepublicanGrasmereStaten Island
Brooklyn		2021**2029
51Frank MoranoRepublicanEltingvilleStaten Island2025*2033

Borough
Population
Total
Democratic
Republican
Brooklyn2,648,77115141
Queens2,358,58214122
Manhattan1,664,72710100
1,471,160770
Staten Island479,458312
Total8,008,27851465

PositionNamePartyBorough
SpeakerJulie MeninDemocraticManhattan
Majority LeaderAmanda FaríasDemocraticBronx
Deputy SpeakerDiana AyalaDemocraticBronx
Majority WhipSelvena Brooks-PowersDemocraticQueens
Minority LeaderDavid CarrRepublicanStaten Island
Minority WhipInna VernikovRepublicanBrooklyn

Salary

Council members currently receive $148,500 a year in base salary, which the council increased from $112,500 in early 2016. The salary raise came with new ethics guidelines and restrictions; most outside income is prohibited, and members no longer receive additional compensation for serving on committees.

Law

The New York City Charter is the fundamental law of the government of New York City including the council. The New York City Administrative Code is the codification of the laws promulgated by the council and is composed of 29 titles. The regulations promulgated by city agencies pursuant to law are contained in the Rules of the City of New York in 71 titles.
A local law has a status equivalent with a law enacted by the legislature, and is superior to the older forms of municipal legislation such as ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. Each local government must designate a newspaper of notice to publish or describe its laws. The secretary of state is responsible for publishing local laws as a supplement to the Laws of New York, but they have not done so in recent years. The New York City Charter, the New York City Administrative Code, and the Rules of the City of New York are published online by the New York Legal Publishing Corp. under contract with the New York City Law Department.