Mayor of New York City - Deputy Mayors

Deputy Mayors

The Mayor of New York City may appoint several deputy mayors to assist him and to oversee major offices within the executive branch of the city government. The powers and duties, and even the number of deputy mayors, are not defined by the City Charter. The post was created by Fiorello La Guardia (who appointed Grover Whalen as deputy mayor) to handle ceremonial events that the mayor was too busy to attend. Since then, deputy mayors have been appointed with their areas of responsibility defined by the appointing mayor. There are currently seven deputy mayors, all of whom report directly to the mayor. Deputy mayors do not have any right to succeed to the mayoralty in the case of vacancy or incapacity of the mayor (the order of succession is the city's public advocate, then the comptroller).

The current deputy mayors are:

• First Deputy Mayor: Patricia Harris

Advises the mayor on citywide administrative, operational and policy matters.

• Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding: Robert K. Steel

Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Buildings, the Department of City Planning, Department of Housing Preservation and Development and related agencies.

• Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services: Linda Gibbs

Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department for the Aging, the Administration for Children's Services, and related agencies.

• Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs: Carol Robles-Roman

Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Coordinator of Administrative Justice, Office to Combat Domestic Violence, and related agencies.

• Deputy Mayor for Governmental Affairs: Howard Wolfson

Directs the City’s relations with federal, state and local governing entities and serves as the Mayor’s chief liaison with elected officials.

• Deputy Mayor for Operations: Cas Holloway

Assists the mayor in managing the Police Department, Fire Department, Sanitation Department, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Management and Budget, etc.

• Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development: Dennis M. Walcott

Inter alia, oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development.