After weeks of speculation and negotiation, City Council members formally received their committee assignments last week. Every borough representative

will chair something in exchange for the Bronx’ loyalty to new Speaker Christine Quinn, though some got more lucrative posts than others.

Council Member Joel Rivera snagged the high-profile Health Committee while maintaining the majority leader position, which is the Council’s second in command. In his first Council leadership position, Oliver Koppell will lead the Mental Health Committee. Council Member Maria Baez was bumped as the Aging chair by Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, whose district is to the south. Baez instead will oversee State and Federal Legislation, which Rivera last chaired.

As for other Bronx members, Larry Seabrook and Helen Foster both maintained Civil Rights and Parks, respectively. Annabel Palma now oversees Drug Abuse and James Vacca got Senior Centers; both are subcommittees.

Standing committee chairmanships come with bonuses, known as lulus, ranging from $10,000 to $18,000, whereas subcommittees start at $4,000. The majority leader nets an extra $21,000. All the extra cash pads a healthy base salary of $90,000. All but five members citywide received something thanks to the Council’s sprawling committee system, with Quinn doling out $487,500 in one day.

The positions are based heavily on the loyalty of the borough party bosses and Council members to the winner of the speaker’s race. Quinn, who is from Manhattan, was selected earlier this month. Democratic county chairs from Queens and the Bronx paved the way for Quinn, though Rivera was also initially in the running.

Assemblyman Jose Rivera, chair of the Bronx Democratic Party and Joel’s father, has said for weeks now that borough lawmakers would be happy. “Everyone from the Bronx will have a position of responsibility,” Rivera said before Quinn’s public announcement.

But some got more than others. Rivera’s son may have lost the speaker’s race, but the Health Committee, which Quinn last chaired, is a handsome consolation prize.

“She did a great job. I hope to follow in her footsteps,” said Councilman Rivera.

Mental Health might not be as prestigious, but it’s a significant step for Koppell. A longtime adversary of party regulars, Koppell was one of the few members without a full chairmanship. He spent the last two years coming off the backbench by working with the Riveras. It seems to have worked.

Koppell said the committee, which also covers drug use and disabilities, was one of his picks. “There’s real legislation meat there,” he said. The committee’s topics fall less under state purview, and therefore presents more room for legislative changes, according to Koppell.

Assemblyman Rivera was pleased about snagging both health-related committees in a borough with so many medical facilities. “It might work well for us in the Bronx,” he said.

Mental Health, which was last held by Margarita Lopez, comes with a $15,000 bonus. That’s the same as Health and Housing.

Baez, who heads the Bronx Council delegation, had hoped for State and Federal Legislation while maintaining Aging. “I have my eye on both,” said Baez, who oversaw the former in 2002.

But Assemblyman Rivera openly spoke about a leadership change for Aging earlier this month. Baez oversaw Aging during controversial changes to the Bronx’ Meals on Wheels program, and Rivera now seems displeased with the pilot program.

Members and party officials appeared relieved to finally finish all the political jockeying, which begins as soon as a speaker emerges as a front-runner. “It’s torture for the members,” said Ululy Rafael Martinez, chief of staff for Assemblyman Rivera.

There was even more to go around this year with three new standing committees and two additional leadership positions. Four out of five of the leadership posts were allotted to contestants in the speaker’s race.

The Bronx increased its total number of chairmanships, but it lost Housing to Brooklyn. That committee is one of the Council’s most powerful. It was chaired by Madeline Provenzano until she left office due to term limits last year.

Vacca, who replaced her in the Council, will be one to watch this year. He’s already come out swinging against a proposed BJ’s discount store for Throggs Neck, and wants to shake up the city Buildings Department.