The city council functions as the legislative branch of local government. It passes laws and ordinances, and has the power to veto decisions by the mayor.
It also performs oversight of city agencies, doing deep dives into a variety of subjects through its many committees. That’s one of the reasons why it is important to learn as much as you can about the different candidates running for the council — watch debates, attend town halls, read the campaign websites – so you know what their priorities will be once they take office.
Most cities, like New York, have a system of district elections to elect members of the council. This means that every two years, almost the entire council changes – as did in 2021 when Miller became speaker of a body where the majority of his colleagues were entering for the first time. Miller ran his campaign with a clear vision and a lot of energy, visiting the districts to build relationships with his future colleagues.
The council also has a number of procedural rules that set forth what are mostly standardized and well-accepted protections for how it operates. For example, it requires that its meetings be public – though state law specifies some circumstances under which closed or executive sessions may be held.