The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. The office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within the city. The Mayor is directly elected by popular vote for a four year term, and faces a two-term limit.
The budget overseen by the Mayor's office is the largest municipal budget in the United States. The city government spends about $50 billion a year, employs 250,000 people, spends about $15 billion to educate more than 1.1 million children, levies $27 billion in taxes, and receives $14 billion from federal and state governments.
The Mayor's office is located in New York City Hall and has jurisdiction over all five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. The Mayor appoints a large number of officials, including commissioners who head city departments, and his or her deputy mayors.

Current mayor
In 1665, Governor Richard Nicolls appointed Thomas Willett as the first "mayor of New York." For the next 156 years, the mayor would be appointed and have limited power. Between 1777 and 1821 the mayor was appointed by the Council of Appointments in which the state's governor had the loudest voice. In 1821, the Common Council, which included elected members, gained the authority to choose the mayor. An amendment to the New York State constitution in 1834 provided for the direct popular election of the mayor. Cornelius W. Lawrence, a Democrat, was elected that year.
Gracie Mansion has been the official residence of the Mayor since Fiorello LaGuardia's administration in 1942. Its main floor is open to the public and serves as a small museum.
In 2000 direct control of the city's public school system was transferred to the Mayor's Office. In 2003 the reorganization established the New York City Department of Education.

Tammany Hall
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 LaGuardia (who appointed Grover Whalen as deputy mayor) to handle ceremonial events which 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 Public Advocate, then Comptroller).
The current deputy mayors are:
Advises the Mayor on citywide administrative, operational and policy matters.
Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Buildings, the Department of City Planning, and related agencies.
Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department for the Aging, the Administration for Children's Services, and related agencies.
Oversees and coordinates the operations of the Coordinator of Administrative Justice, Office to Combat Domestic Violence, and related agencies.
Directs the City's relations with federal, state and local governing entities and serves as the Mayor's chief liaison with elected officials.
Assists the Mayor in managing the Police Department, Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Management and Budget, etc.
Inter alia, oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development.

First Deputy Mayor: Patricia Harris
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding: Daniel Doctoroff
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services: Linda Gibbs
Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs: Carol Robles-Roman
Deputy Mayor for Governmental Affairs: Kevin Sheekey
Deputy Mayor for Administration: Edward Skyler
Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development: Dennis Walcott The Mayor in popular culture

List of mayors of New York City
Government of New York City
History of New York City
New York City Council
New York City Civil Court
New York City Criminal Court