When New Yorkers fill out a citywide ballot, the mayor’s race tends to absorb most of the attention. But three other offices on that same ballot — Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Borough President — shape how the city budgets, audits, builds, and handles complaints from residents. These positions are written into the New York City Charter, each with its own statutory powers and limits. This guide walks through what each office does, how it interacts with the rest of city government, and why each line on the ballot matters before the June 23, 2026 primary and the November general election.
The Three Citywide and Borough Offices on Your Ballot
New York City voters elect three officials by citywide vote: the Mayor, the Comptroller, and the Public Advocate. Voters in each of the five boroughs separately elect a Borough President for their borough. All four-year terms. Together with the City Council, these offices form the executive and oversight structure of the city government described in the City Charter. The Mayor is the chief executive. The other three serve distinct roles around finance, accountability, and borough-level planning.
What the NYC Comptroller Does
The Comptroller is the city’s chief financial officer. According to the Mission and Office Overview published by the Comptroller’s office, the office is “led by an independently-elected citywide official” and “provides checks and balances needed to hold City government accountable for budgeting wisely, investing responsibly, operating efficiently, acting fairly, living up to its obligations and promises, and paying attention to the long-term challenges we face together.”
The Comptroller’s work is organized into specialized bureaus. The Bureau of Accountancy prepares the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, or ACFR — the city’s published statement of financial position. The Bureau of Budget evaluates the city’s fiscal, cash, and economic position, reviews the Mayor’s financial plan, and issues regular cash and budget reports. The Bureau of Audit and Investigations conducts independent audits of city agencies and their programs. The Bureau of Contract Administration reviews and registers city contracts before they take legal effect, with up to thirty calendar days to confirm that funds exist, procurement rules were followed, and vendors are in good standing. The Bureau of Law and Adjustment investigates and settles claims and lawsuits involving the city. The Bureau of Asset Management oversees investments for the five New York City pension systems on behalf of plan trustees and beneficiaries. The Bureau of Labor Law sets and enforces prevailing wage rates for workers on city public-works projects and building-service employees on city contracts.
Put together, the Comptroller’s mandate is financial: the office is meant to act as a check on how the city spends, borrows, contracts, settles claims, and invests pension assets. Reports issued by the office — on budgets, audits, claims, bonds, and economic outlook — are public records, and the office maintains the Checkbook NYC database of city spending. When a city contract is delayed, when an agency’s audit raises findings, or when pension investments are repositioned, the Comptroller’s office is typically the source of record.
What the NYC Public Advocate Does
The Public Advocate’s role is laid out in Section 24 of the New York City Charter. According to the Duties of the Office page published by the NYC Public Advocate, the Public Advocate “is a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation,” and “also serves as an ombudsman for city government, providing oversight for city agencies, investigating citizens’ complaints about city services and making proposals to address perceived shortcomings or failures of those services.”
That ombudsman function is the office’s most direct touchpoint with residents. When a New Yorker has a complaint about a city service that an agency has not resolved within a reasonable time, the Public Advocate’s office can take it up, investigate, and issue recommendations. If the agency does not respond satisfactorily, the Public Advocate may submit a report to the Council and Mayor with recommendations for administrative, legislative, or budgetary action.
The Public Advocate also has specific institutional roles: serving on the committee that selects the director of the New York City Independent Budget Office, appointing one member of the City Planning Commission, and chairing the Commission of Public Information and Communication established by Section 1061 of the Charter. The office can introduce and co-sponsor Council legislation but does not vote on it; prior to a 2002 charter revision, the Public Advocate also served as the presiding officer of the Council.
One feature of the office that tends to come up around every citywide election is succession. The Public Advocate is first in line to succeed the Mayor. In the event of a vacancy or incapacity of the Mayor, the Public Advocate steps in as Acting Mayor until a successor is selected as prescribed by the Charter. This succession role is one of the reasons the office is sometimes described as the city’s second-highest-ranking citywide position.
What an NYC Borough President Does
Each of the five boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island — elects its own Borough President. The role and its responsibilities are codified in Chapter 4 of the City Charter. Borough Presidents do not have direct executive authority over city agencies, but they are formal participants in land-use decisions, capital planning, community board appointments, and borough-level advocacy.
The clearest charter-mandated responsibility is land-use review. As described on the Land Use and Planning page of the Manhattan Borough President’s office, “The City Charter requires each Borough President to have a planning office to prepare for the growth, improvement, and development of the borough and to review and make recommendations on applications and proposals for the use and development of land. One of the central responsibilities of the Manhattan Borough President’s office is its charter-mandated role in the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).”
ULURP is the city’s standardized process for zoning changes and other actions that affect how land is used. An application moves through the relevant community board, the Borough President, the Borough Board, the City Planning Commission, and finally the City Council. At the Borough President stage, the office issues a written recommendation that weighs the proposal’s land-use impacts, environmental considerations, and stakeholder input.
The Charter also requires each Borough President to maintain a topographical bureau and retain a borough engineer. The bureau is responsible for the borough map, assigns and verifies addresses for new and existing buildings, maintains survey benchmarks, and supports engineering matters tied to public improvement projects. For homeowners or developers trying to get a new address assigned to a building, or to clarify block, lot, and address information for an existing one, this office is the point of contact.
Beyond land use and topography, Borough Presidents appoint members to the community boards in their borough, prepare a strategic policy statement for the borough every four years, can have legislation introduced in the City Council, make capital project recommendations as part of the budget process, hold hearings on borough matters of public interest, and monitor the performance of city service contracts within the borough. Each borough’s office maintains its own staff, programs, and constituent services tailored to the borough it represents.
How the Three Offices Interact
The Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Borough Presidents all sit outside the executive chain of command of the Mayor. Each is independently elected, which is a deliberate feature of the Charter. The Comptroller’s audits and contract reviews can flag concerns about agencies under the Mayor’s direction. The Public Advocate’s investigations and reports can press agencies on responsiveness and service delivery. Borough Presidents inject borough-level perspective into citywide land-use and capital decisions.
None of these offices passes city laws on their own. The City Council holds legislative authority. But each office has tools to surface information and recommendations, and each interacts with the Council through the right to introduce legislation, testify, or submit reports. Voters choosing among candidates for these offices are choosing how they want financial oversight, citizen complaint handling, and borough-level planning to be carried out for the next four years.
What’s on the Ballot Next
New York City voters will see candidates for these offices on upcoming ballots during the 2026 election cycle. The June 23, 2026 primary election will determine each party’s nominee, with early voting running from June 13 through June 21, 2026. The general election follows in November 2026. To confirm what is on your specific ballot, look up your address through the official tools provided by the New York City Board of Elections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NYC Comptroller the same as a state comptroller?
No. The New York City Comptroller is a citywide office responsible for the finances of New York City. The New York State Comptroller is a separately elected statewide office responsible for New York State finances. They are distinct positions with separate jurisdictions.
Can the Public Advocate vote on City Council bills?
No. The Public Advocate is a non-voting member of the City Council. The office can introduce and co-sponsor legislation but does not cast a vote on Council legislation.
What happens if the Mayor leaves office?
If the Mayor is unable to serve, the Public Advocate is first in line to become Acting Mayor under the Charter. A subsequent election would be scheduled to fill the position as prescribed by the Charter.
Does a Borough President have to approve a development project?
The Borough President issues a written recommendation as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, but the binding vote on most ULURP applications belongs to the City Planning Commission and then the City Council. The Borough President’s recommendation is advisory but is part of the formal record.
Where can I see the Comptroller’s reports?
The Comptroller’s office publishes audits, budget commentary, claims reports, cash reports, and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report through the official Comptroller website at comptroller.nyc.gov.
How do I file a complaint with the Public Advocate?
The Public Advocate’s office maintains a constituent hotline and an intake process described on the official Public Advocate website at advocate.nyc.gov. The office accepts complaints about city services and agencies.
How are Borough Presidents elected?
Each of the five Borough Presidents is elected by the voters of that borough only, not citywide. They serve four-year terms.
Plan Your Vote
Before the June 23 primary, residents should confirm registration status, polling site, and any mail-ballot deadlines through the New York City Board of Elections. For more on the mechanics of voting, see our explainer on how ranked-choice voting works in NYC primaries, and our practical guide to finding your poll site, voting early, or requesting a mail ballot for 2026.
Understanding what the Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Borough President actually do — under the Charter, not as campaign promises — is the most reliable way to decide who you want filling each of those lines on the ballot.
