New York City Board of Estimate

The New York City Board of Estimate was a political body in New York City, which served as a kind of city councilors or magistrate for the public budget as well as the zoning plan. It was recognized in a 1989 Supreme Court decision unconstitutional and dissolved as a result.

History

Since its foundation in 1898, was the Board of Estimate ex officio of eight members: the three directly elected by the total population offices, the mayor of New York, the City Comptroller and the President of the New York City Council, each with double voting weight, and from the five Borough presidents, each with a simple voting weight. In 1938 the powers of the board were further expanded under Mayor LaGuardia.

1989 declared the Supreme Court of the United States, the Board unconstitutional, because in it the most populous borough with Brooklyn the same voting weight paused as the unequal smaller Borough Staten Iceland. This contradicted but the codified in the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment principle of "one man, one vote ".

In the 1990 revised Charter of New York City most of the tasks were transferred to the New York City Council. The now largely confined to their representative role position of president of the New York City Council was subsequently changed in New York City Public Advocate and converted to an ombudsman of the New York population.

• Policy ( New York City )