The city council is tasked with overseeing the work of city agencies and setting policy. Much of that work is done through committees, which are where deep dives are performed on a variety of subjects. Every council member is assigned — through a voting process by other members — to serve on one or more of the 35 standing committees and subcommittees. The speaker of the council and the majority and minority leaders are ex officio members of all committees.
In addition to working through committees, the council takes action as a whole by passing laws called “papers.” Once a paper is voted on in a full council meeting it goes to the mayor, who can approve or veto it. The council can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote.
Besides passing legislation, the city council is also responsible for holding hearings to gather public feedback and hold officials accountable. That includes issuing subpoenas when necessary to force government agencies to answer questions on issues ranging from the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to its treatment of asylum-seekers.
Those who serve in the council are often subject to a lot of scrutiny and pressure, but they are also expected to be ethical role models. That means treating everyone with respect, listening to understand rather than to respond, communicating well, becoming informed about the issues and assuming the best intent of others. It’s a tall order, but many members do their best to live up to it.