The city council is the legislative branch of the local government. It is sometimes called the city board, municipal council, municipal authority, town council, village council, county council or board of aldermen. City councils are typically elected by the citizens in a democratic manner, although there are variations from place to place. They can pass laws and ordinances, raise taxes, and appoint the mayor and other officials. City councils can also propose and integrate ideas to make a better community.
Most of the council’s work is done in committee meetings and hearings on topics like human services, infrastructure and city affairs. Each council member is assigned — through a vote by their fellow members — to various committees. Council Members also form caucuses, groups with shared interests. These allow them to bring up issues and concerns from specific communities.
The Council’s most important decision every year is the city budget. The Council adds to the Mayor’s Executive Budget proposal during a series of hearings and negotiations. The final adopted city budget is a result of those changes. City Council Members have full budgetary authority and can raise or lower non-property tax revenue estimates at any time during the fiscal year. The Mayor can veto any Council additions to the budget, but this does not prevent the City from spending money during the year. In fact, the City’s financial health depends on the Council making adjustments in revenue estimates to balance the budget.
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