Public advocate race heats up
Mayor says he picked election date to increase voter turnout
Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed this week that he has set Feb. 26 as the date for the special election for New York City public advocate in the hope that the city can boost voter turnout.
“We chose this date to maximize voter participation. This was the latest date available under the legal limit that also would fall on a Tuesday that was not a vacation day, was a regular work day,” de Blasio said at a City Hall ceremony on Jan. 2 where he signed a proclamation to set the date.
Under the City Charter, the public advocate’s role is to serve as a watchdog over city government and an ombudsman on behalf of city residents. The advocate is also the first in the line of succession for mayor. The person holding the office can introduce legislation in the City Council and can file lawsuits on behalf of the city. The salary is $184,800 a year. The public advocate’s office operates with an annual budget of $3 million.
“The purpose of the public advocate is something that nobody seems to get — the job is to be the ombudsman of the city of New York,” former public advocate Betsy Gotbaum told the Queens Daily Eagle in a recent interview. “It’s answering constituent complaints and trying to solve the problems, and by doing that you have oversight over mayoral agencies.”