Borough president

A borough president (informally BP, or beep in slang) is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City. Borough Presidents currently have little real power within the New York City government, so instead, they generally serve as ceremonial leaders who advocate for their boroughs on key issues.

Borough Presidents advise the Mayor, comment on all land-use items in their borough, advocate borough needs in the annual municipal budget process, appoint Community Boards, chair the Borough Boards, and serve as ex officio members of various boards and committees. They generally act as advocates of their boroughs at the mayoral agencies, the city council, the New York State government, public corporations and private businesses. Their regulations are compiled in title 45 of the New York City Rules.

Reasons for establishment

Prior to January 1, 1898, the city was coterminous with New York County, which at that time comprised Manhattan and the Bronx. On that date, Boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Richmond (Staten Island) were created. Brooklyn was coterminous with Kings County, the Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx with New York County, and the Borough of Richmond with Richmond County. Queens County included the borough of Queens together with all of what today is known as Nassau County. The boroughs assumed most county functions, but did not replace them.