US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

 
    §  259.  Independent  budget  office. a. There shall be an independent
  budget office to be headed by a director who shall be appointed upon the
  recommendation of the independent budget office  advisory  board,  by  a
  special  committee  convened  for  this  purpose.  Such  committee shall
  consist of the comptroller, the public  advocate,  a  borough  president
  chosen  by  the  borough  presidents, and a council member chosen by the
  council, and shall act by majority vote. The director shall be appointed
  without regard to political affiliation  and  solely  on  the  basis  of
  fitness  to  perform  the  duties  assigned by this chapter. The term of
  office of the director first appointed shall expire on August first, two
  thousand, and the terms of office of  directors  subsequently  appointed
  shall expire on such date in each fourth year thereafter. Any individual
  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  prior to the expiration of a term shall
  serve only for the unexpired portion of the term. An individual  serving
  as  director  at  the expiration of a term may continue to serve until a
  successor is appointed.
    b. The appropriations  available  to  pay  for  the  expenses  of  the
  independent budget office during each fiscal year shall not be less than
  ten  percentum  of the  appropriations available to pay for the expenses
  of the office of management and budget during such  fiscal  year.    The
  director  shall  appoint such personnel and procure the services of such
  experts and consultants, within the appropriations  available  therefor,
  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  director  to  carry out the duties and
  functions assigned herein.   Such personnel and  experts  shall  perform
  such duties as may be assigned to them by the director.
    c.  The director shall be authorized to secure such information, data,
  estimates and statistics from the agencies of the city as  the  director
  determines  to  be  necessary  for  the performance of the functions and
  duties of the office, and such agencies shall provide such  information,
  to  the  extent that it is available, in a timely fashion.  The director
  shall not be entitled to obtain  records  which  are  protected  by  the
  privileges  for  attorney-client  communications, attorney work product,
  and material prepared for litigation.
    d. There shall be an  independent  budget  office  advisory  committee
  consisting  of  ten members appointed jointly by the comptroller and the
  public advocate for five year staggered terms. Of the members originally
  appointed, two shall serve until the thirty-first day of March, nineteen
  hundred ninety-nine, two shall  serve  until  the  thirty-first  day  of
  March,  two  thousand,  two  shall  serve  until the thirty-first day of
  March, two thousand one, two shall serve until the thirty-first  day  of
  March,  two  thousand two and two shall serve until the thirty-first day
  of March, two thousand three. The members shall all be individuals  with
  extensive  experience and knowledge in the fields of finance, economics,
  accounting, public administration and public policy analysis,  including
  at  least  one former director of the New York city office of management
  and budget or of a  comparable  office  in  another  local  governmental
  jurisdiction  in  the United States; one nationally recognized expert in
  the fields of budget  theory  and  the  budgetary  process;  one  former
  director of the New York state division of the budget or of a comparable
  legislative or executive office in another state government; one dean or
  director  or  former  dean  or director of a graduate school of business
  administration located in New York city; one dean or director or  former
  dean or director of a graduate school of public administration or public
  affairs  or  public policy located in New York city; one chair or former
  chair of a graduate economics department  of  a  college  or  university
  located  in New York city; one officer or former officer of, or economic
  advisor of, a labor union; one officer or former officer of, or economic
  advisor to, a business corporation; one officer or former officer  of  a

  civic  or  public  interest  advocacy organization involved in budgetary
  matters; and one officer or former officer of a human services  advocacy
  organization  involved  in budget matters.  No member may be reappointed
  to  consecutive  terms. Vacancies occurring because of the expiration of
  terms shall be filled promptly on the recommendation of the  members  of
  the   committee  whose  terms  are  not  expiring.  Vacancies  occurring
  otherwise  shall  be  filled  promptly  on  the  recommendation  of  the
  remaining  members of the committee.  The members of the committee shall
  receive no compensation but shall  be  reimbursed  for  their  necessary
  expenses.  The  committee  shall  at  its  first  meeting  in every even
  numbered year elect, from among its members, a chair and vice-chair  who
  shall  serve  until  the  thirty-first  day  of  March  of the next even
  numbered year.