How The Council Is Organized

The Charter provides that the Council shall elect a president to preside over meetings. The Council elects a president and a vice-president each December for a one-year term.

The Council President is responsible for setting the Council's agenda and work schedule, reviews and signs all official documents of the Council, responds to the major portion of the correspondence addressed to the Council, and acts as spokesperson. In recognition of these additional responsibilities, the Council President receives a salary 10 percent greater than the salary of the other Councilmembers.

Standing Committees

There are currently seven Council standing committees. Each Committee has budget review and program oversight responsibilities. Some cross-cutting issues may be reviewed by two committees meeting jointly.

In some of the committees, an individual other than the Chair has been designated as the Lead Councilmember for an issue or group of issues. Lead Councilmembers take the initiative in developing agenda items in their areas of responsibility and act as chair of the committee when their items are being discussed.

Council committees customarily meet on Mondays and Thursdays. During the Council budget seasons (January through June), committee sessions are held more frequently.

Standing Committees at a Glance