What this office does: City/Town Council serves as a legislative body and enacts policy (resolutions), authorizes laws (ordinances), and approves the city’s annual budget. Resolutions range from zoning rules to public safety regulations. They approve the mayor’s appointments of key staff, like the police chief and city attorney. When there is strong enough agreement, the council can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote. Council members also serve as non-voting liaisons to entities that rent city-owned facilities or city-related issues like the conservation district. Council members are a conduit for information exchange between the entities.
Why it matters: Local councils decide issues having more immediate impact than state or federal politics. If you care about growth, housing, streets, water and sewer, parks, or what gets built in town, council elections are often where your vote has the clearest local effect.