Opinion ID: 780595
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Yonkers City Government

Text: 4 The City of Yonkers is governed by a seven-member city council and a mayor. Charter of the City of Yonkers § C2-1. The City Council is composed of a City Council President, who is elected citywide, and six City Council members, one elected from each of the city's six City Council districts. Id. Each City Council member, including the City Council President, serves a two-year term beginning on January 1 of the year following his or her election. Id. § C2-2. The City Council is vested with [a]ll of the legislative powers of the city and is empowered to adopt most legislation by a simple majority vote. Id. §§ C4-1(A), C4-6(B). The City Charter established three offices within the City Council: the Office of the City Council President, the Majority Leader's Office, and the Minority Leader's Office. Id. §§ C4-13(A)-(C). 1 The City Council Majority and Minority Leaders have the power to supervise, hire and fire all employees in [his or her] office. Id. § C4-13(B), (C). 5 The chief executive of the City of Yonkers is a Mayor, who is elected citywide to a four-year term commencing on January 1 of the year following his or her election. Id. §§ C2-2(A), C3-1, C3-2. The Mayor has the power to veto bills adopted by the City Council, and a veto will stand unless two-thirds of the membership of the City Council votes to override it. Id. §§ C3-2(13), C4-6(B). In addition, the Mayor is required to submit a proposed budget for the coming fiscal year to the City Council no later than April 15 of each year. Id. §§ C3-2(8), C5-2. It is undisputed that the City Charter requires votes of at least two-thirds of the seven City Council members (i.e., five members) to approve the Mayor's proposed capital budget. 6 During calendar year 1998, the Mayor of Yonkers was defendant John Spencer, 2 a Republican. The Republican City Council members were City Council President Vincent Restiano, defendant Majority Leader Gordon Burrows, 3 Council member Richard Martinelli, and Council member Carlo Calvi. The Democrat members were Minority Leader Brandon, Council member Fernando Fuentes, and Council member Jeff Balancio. 4 Thus, there were four Republicans and three Democrats. The City Council did not always organize itself along party lines, however. Instead, the council members often formed political alliances known as coalitions to advance their public policy agendas. In January 1998, an attempt was made by Majority Leader Burrows, Minority Leader Brandon, Fuentes, Balancio and Calvi to form a governing coalition. This attempt proved unsuccessful, however, in part due to a disagreement over who should serve as Majority Leader. Minority Leader Brandon and Majority Leader Burrows supported the latter to continue in the position, whereas the other three legislators supported Calvi. Shortly thereafter, with encouragement from Mayor Spencer, Majority Leader Burrows and Minority Leader Brandon joined Council President Restiano and Council member Martinelli to form a new governing coalition. This coalition came to be referred to as the Majority Coalition, while the group comprised of Fuentes, Calvi, and Balancio came to be referred to as the Minority Coalition. 7