What is a City Councilperson?

A city councilperson is an elected public official whose role is that of a board of directors for a multi-million-dollar public corporation, the shareholders are the people who live here. They are not ceremonial greeters.

✅ Their job is to:

• Review all laws and policies for the city (ordinances, budgets, zoning rules, etc.).

• Facilitate working boards—like public safety, planning, parks, lodging and utilities.

• Approve or reject city spending, development projects, and contracts.

• Hold the city accountable to serve the public openly, fairly and efficiently.

• Represent the interests of all residents.
  
  

❌ They are not supposed to:

• Rubber-stamp every proposal city staff puts in front of them.

• Ignore public concerns in favor of political convenience.

• Capitulate when the city wants to overspend or misallocate funds.

• Agree to every fee or tax raise.

So when the city wants to go over budget?

A responsible councilperson asks hard questions:

• Why is the budget increasing?

• What are the alternatives?

• How will this affect residents?

• Can we afford this without raising fees or taxes?

In short:

A good city councilperson is a watchdog, not a lapdog.
They are our representative, not the city’s cheerleader.
They’re expected to Lead, not follow along for convenience.