Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
How <em>Do</em> Borough Presidents Fill the Empty Hours?
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 17, 2008
Modified Sep 17, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 17, 2008
Modified Sep 17, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Are the city's borough presidents just a bunch of lazy, pampered functionaries who draw a $160,000-a-year salary to show up for photo ops and issue proclamations? After reviewing the schedules for all five presidents during the week of August 4th, the Post seems to have arrived at that conclusion. The tabloid is shocked to find that the job of borough president turns out to be largely ceremonial, with a week in the life filled with such duties as attending a Liza Minelli concert (Brooklyn's Marty Markowitz), a party for Hillary Clinton at Cipriani (the Bronx's Adolfo Carrión), and a staff meeting on replacing a disabled constituent's stolen scooter (Staten Island's James Molinaro).
Carrión spent 2½ hours having "private" time on Monday and an hour of the same on Thursday..."He can be known to disappear," said a source close to Carrión...Queens Borough President Helen Marshall also had lots of time missing from her schedule. On Aug. 5, she attended Gov. Paterson's signing of a bill about home foreclosures at 10:30 a.m., then went to a National Night Out Against Crime event at 6 p.m. Nothing was listed in between. "She could definitely do more with that position," said a Queens democratic insider.
Molinaro, in his defense, tells the Post, "I get hundreds of phone calls a month from constituents. I read every piece of mail that comes into Borough Hall. I'm not exaggerating. And I call many of these people. Who else is going to do that? You think some bureaucrat is doing this?"
In 1989, the presidents lost their most significant power, appointing members to the since-disbanded city Board of Estimate. Now some critics would like to further diminish their roles when the Charter Revision Commission revises the city's charter. Meanwhile, the Daily News is raising questions about $680,496 in no-bid city contracts that Markowitz awarded to the nonprofit he runs, Best of Brooklyn Inc. In speaking to the News, Markowitz insisted it would be impractical to competitively bid each contract: "By the time we put it out to bid, we couldn't get anything done."
Photo of the borough presidents have a laugh during lunch at Junior's courtesy Kathryn Kirk.
Tagged
borough president
daily lives
marty markowitz
new york city
nyc
schedules
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .