Council Member Job Description
Council members are elected to the city council to direct the city's development, policies, services and future. The job is sometimes paid and sometimes strictly volunteer, depending on your city's size and the form of government adopted. Political pressures and stress can make the job a difficult one, but you also have the added benefit of pursuing your agenda for the city and making a positive difference in your city.
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Running for Office
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Unlike most jobs that you would apply for, council members are elected by the public. To become a council member, you must find out which district you live in and file for election, launch a campaign and win the majority of votes. Because of the elections, the job can become political and those who helped finance your campaign may later ask for favors. Finding a solution to city problems that pleases all residents is a major struggle of the job.
Setting the Budget
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Council members set the city's budget and oversee the expenses of it. With the group of other council members, you decide how much money should be spent on city employee salaries, road work, park maintenance and other services. How much the city spends is related to the tax rate. The continuous struggle of keeping the tax rate low and the residents provided for with police, fire and other city services can be a tough balancing act.
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Addressing Concerns
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One major part of a council member's job is meeting with concerned citizens, businesses and neighborhood groups. These groups may encounter a problem that they hope the city can solve and will approach a council member for help. These problems can be something simple, such as needing a road repaired, or complex, such as spurring growth or improving the city's economy. Time spent with these groups often occurs on weekends and evenings, when these people have time to meet with council members and express their concerns.
Attending Meetings
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Council members must attend regular and special meetings of the city council. Some councils meet weekly or, in the largest of cities, several times a week. In small towns, the city council may only meet once a month. At these meetings, the council members discuss issues before the city and vote on what they think is best. This can include approving zoning changes, paying city bills, pursuing new projects and passing new laws.
Setting the City's Agenda
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Council members can take up issues that have the ability to change the future of the city. If a council member wants to improve the city's parks, they can direct spending to improve them and sway favor with other council members to make this a priority for the city. They have the ability to decide what is important and what needs to change about the city and attempt to make these changes themselves.
Salary
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Payment for work in office is dependent on the the city. It can range from $0 to $179,000. In smaller towns and cities, council members volunteer their time and there is no payment. Los Angeles has the highest-paid city council, with salaries set at $179,000 per year as of 2010, according to KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Bigger cities do not always pay more. For example, in San Antonio, the ninth-largest city in the United States, council members earn $20 a week, or $1,040 a year, according to a 2002 University of Illinois at Chicago study.
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References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: State and Local Government Workers
- City of Phoenix Website: What are the Responsibilities of the Mayor and City Council
- City of Minneapolis Website: City Council Roles and Responsibilities
- University of Illinois at Chicago Website: Council Member Salaries of Ten Largest U.S. Cities
- KABC TV Website: Mayor Urges City Council Members to Cut Pay
- Photo Credit city image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
