With it being a critical election year, it’s important to know who and what you’re voting for. Your city’s government is equally as important as your national government. They protect your rights as citizens and deal with the matters closest to you, your neighbors, family members, and friends. The city government is the group responsible for making sure that your city is the best it can be. That is why your city government should be taken into consideration when selecting candidates to side with in the upcoming election.

While mayors and city managers often develop and propose policies, their true responsibility is carrying out the council’s ideas and implementing policies adopted by the council. 

City Commissioners serve both legislative and executive roles which means that they hold major authority in local politics. The relationship of the executive to the legislative body varies by form of local government. A city council is the legislative body that governs a city. The council exists as a way for cities to appropriate funding and grant ordinances (decrees). 

The roles of city judges are important in the community not only because they impact day to day life in the community, but they also keep order and hold together the city. City judges hear criminal cases involving individuals charged with violating city laws or ordinances. These are not major crimes, but instead, violations of laws specific to the city. City judges hear cases such as vandalism, public intoxication, loitering, healthcode violations, and property code violations. City judges also set penalties for individuals found guilty of charges. These penalties are usually fines based off of the city ordinances. 

City Attorneys handle the monetary penalties people face, such as fines and traffic tickets. They also handle civil lawsuits and act as general counsel, advising the city’s departments. They deal with prosecuting misdemeanors and civil claims against the city. They also handle real estate, such as housing code violations and drug abuses. Practically anytime the city is listed in a court of law, the city attorney will represent it.