Now that Albany is burning through mayors (we’re now on our fourth since 1941!), Hoxsie thought we’d look back at Albany government the way it used to be done, with a description of the mayor’s job in 1884, a mere 130 years ago:
“The Mayor’s bureau consists of the Mayor and two clerks.
“The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the city, and is elected biennially on the second Tuesday in April, to hold office from first Tuesday in May following. Annual salary, $3,500 . . .
“Office, City Hall; open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Mayor is not eligible for re-election till one term has intervened. He has absolute power to appoint corporation counsel, one assessor each year, six district physicians, janitor of city building, three excise commissioners, four bell-ringers, two clerks, six marshals of the city court, and park commissioners on expiration of their terms.”
Four bell-ringers. Four.
The Mayor was also charged with nominating the Chamberlain, a finance official who earned as much as the Mayor. “The Chamberlain is appointed by the Common Council on nomination by the Mayor, ‘biennially on the eve of the feast of St. Michael, the archangel.’
I got yer separation of church and state right here, pal. (It turns out the Dongan Charter set that as the date on which aldermen would be elected and the chamberlain appointed.)
The engraving is of A. Bleecker Banks, Mayor of Albany in 1884. He hoped to someday be The Bleecker Banks.