As voters, it is crucial to understand the importance of local elections – from city council, school trustees, mayors, and school boards – local elections deserve just as much attention and consideration as the presidential race and other federally elected positions. It is our city council members who make decisions about where the money goes and our school boards who allocate more funding to our schools. On average, local elections tend to have a lower turnout when, in fact, some of them may be even more important to our everyday lives.
The Mayor is the elected Executive responsible for overseeing the city council. Depending on each city’s charter, the Mayor may have various responsibilities, including working with the city council and city manager to address issues such as land use and development, housing, job programs or incentives, transportation policies, and investment in parks or libraries.
City Council members have the final vote in creating laws and approving a city budget. They may develop their own initiatives, as well as respond to the mayor’s proposals. No one council member can make a change to city law — any change must be approved by a majority of the council members. a few responsibilities they might fulfill: A few of the responsibilities include making city policy, approving the budget, responding to residents, creating regulations, and reviewing city goals.
