History
Seattle was first incorporated as a town by an act of the Territorial Legislature on January 14, 1865. The town charter established a five-member board of trustees to govern Seattle, which appointed citizens to other positions. [8] The act was repealed January 18, 1867, after most of the town's leading citizens petitioned for its dissolution. Seattle was again incorporated, this time as a City, on December 2, 1869. The new unicameral legislature, known as the Common Council, was elected at-large to one year terms. [9] At-large election was replaced in 1884 by a system of 14 wards and four members elected at-large, all elected to two-year terms. [10]
The Home Rule Charter, adopted in 1890, reorganized the city council into a bicameral legislature, with a nine-member Board of Aldermen and a sixteen-member House of Delegates. [11]
District-based elections
In 2013, Seattle voters approved Charter Amendment 19 calling for the nine citywide Seattle City Council positions to be divided into seven district-elected seats and two citywide, at-large seats. [12] The elections for the two at-large seats are held as separate contests, thus results are not proportional. Each seat is filled in two-step process - a primary election is held in August, with the two most popular candidates going on to a general election in November. [13] The partial transition to districts started with 2013 elections for Positions 2, 4, 6, and 8 being truncated, two-year terms. [14]
The 2015 election cycle featured all nine seats, except the seven district positions were elected to full, four-year terms, and the two at-large positions would be for truncated, two-year terms. [14] [13] The first primary based on the new combined district/at-large system was held on August 4, 2015, with the general elections held on November 3, 2015. [15]
The seven district seats were up for election again in 2023; the two at-large seats will be up for election again in 2025. Only two of the seven districts retained their incumbent member in the 2023 election. [16]
Timeline
- 1869–1883 – Seven at-large Council members elected for one-year terms.
- 1884 – Nine Council members elected: three from each of the three wards, elected to two-year terms.
- 1886 – One ward added, Council reduced to eight members: two elected from each ward for two-years terms.
- 1890 – The Home Rule Charter established eight wards and bicameral legislature. A Board of Delegates composed of nine at-large members was elected for four-year terms. House of Delegates had 16 members – Two from each ward, elected for two-year terms.
- 1892 – One ward added to make nine. Both houses to have nine members – all elected from wards.
- 1896 – New Home Rule Charter reestablished unicameral legislature with nine wards. One Council member elected from each ward for two years and four elected at large for four-year terms.
- 1905 – Two wards added to make 11. One Council member from each with four at-large – 15 council members total.
- 1907 – The Charter was amended twice during the year, the first time adding two more wards, increasing the size of Council to 17. Later, another ward was added (to make 14), increasing Council to 18 members.
- 1910 – The Charter was amended to abolish wards, reduce Council to nine at-large positions elected to three-year terms. This took effect in 1911 and remained constant until 1946. The 1910 Charter amendments also made the elections non-partisan. Prior to that candidates for Council (and other City offices) ran on party tickets.
- 1946 – The new Charter created the four-year term. [17]
- 2013 – City voters pass measure changing councilmember elections to a mostly-district-based scheme.
- 2015 – First councilmember elections held under new combined district/at-large scheme.
The Mayor of Seattle is the head of the executive branch of the city government of Seattle, Washington. The mayor is authorized by the city charter to enforce laws enacted by the Seattle City Council, as well as direct subordinate officers in city departments.
Honolulu City Council is the legislature of the City and County of Honolulu, the capital and largest city in Hawai'i, the fiftieth state in the United States. The City and County of Honolulu is a municipal corporation that manages government aspects traditionally exercised by both municipalities and counties in other states. Each of the nine members of its city council is elected to a four-year term and can serve no more than two consecutive terms. Council members are elected by voters in nine administrative districts that, since 1991, are reapportioned every ten years. Like the Honolulu mayor, members of the city council are elected via nonpartisan elections.
The Los Angeles City Council is the lawmaking body for the city government of Los Angeles, California, the second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council districts that are spread throughout the city's 501 square miles of land.
The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is the result of a merger of King County and the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, better known as Metro, which was a federated county-city structure responsible for water quality and public transportation.
A city in the context of local government in New Jersey refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. Despite the widely held perception of a city as a large, urban area, cities in New Jersey have a confused history as a form of government and vary in size from large, densely populated areas to much smaller hamlets.
The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County.
The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the city of Buffalo, New York government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common Council also had as many as five at-large members and a Council President who were elected citywide. Each council seat is elected for a four-year term, with elections occurring during off-years, between mid-term elections and presidential elections.
The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councillors are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve. Boston uses a strong-mayor form of government in which the city council acts as a check against the power of the executive branch, the mayor. The council is responsible for approving the city budget; monitoring, creating, and abolishing city agencies; making land use decisions; and approving, amending, or rejecting other legislative proposals.
The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases.
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore. It has 14 members elected by district and a president elected at-large; all serve four-year terms. The council holds regular meetings on alternate Monday evenings on the fourth floor of the Baltimore City Hall. The council has seven standing committees, all of which must have at least three members. As of 2022, the president receives an annual salary of $131,798, the vice president gets $84,729 and the rest of councillors receive $76,660. The current city council president, Nick Mosby, was sworn on December 10, 2020.
The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a location besides city hall. The Detroit City Council has elected Mary Sheffield to be its president. The council may convene for special meetings at the call of the mayor or of at least four members of council.
Christopher R. Holden is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 41st Assembly District, which encompasses the northern San Gabriel Valley, and is centered in Pasadena.
The Atlanta City Council is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It consists of 16 members: the council president, twelve members elected from districts within the city, and three members representing at-large posts. The city council is the legislative branch of the Atlanta city government.
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The current mayor-council form of city government was created in 1954, following the 1950 amendment of the state constitution that provided for a home rule charter for the city. The 1954 Charter provided for seven members, five elected from single-member districts, and two elected at-large, replacing the 1912 Charter, which provided for a commission form of government with a mayor and four commissioners.
The San Diego City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of San Diego, California. The city council was first established in San Diego in 1850. The council uses a strong mayor system with a separately elected mayor who acts as the executive. There are currently nine members of the council. City council members serve a four-year term and are limited to two successive terms.
Bloomfield, New Jersey was incorporated on March 23, 1812. It operates under a Special Charter granted under an Act of the New Jersey Legislature. The township is governed by a mayor and a six-member Township Council. The mayor and three councilmembers are elected at-large, and one member from each of three wards, with all positions chosen on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. Councilmembers are elected to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with the three at-large seats up for election together and the three ward seats coming up for election two years later. Bloomfield's charter, retains most of the characteristics of the Town form, with additional powers delegated to an administrator. The mayors are:
The Oakland City Council is an elected governing body representing the City of Oakland, California.
The Austin City Council is the unicameral legislature of the city of Austin, Texas, United States of America. The mayor is included as a member of the council and presides over all council meetings and ceremonies. The current mayor of Austin is Kirk Watson. The duty of the council is to decide the city budget, taxes, and various other ordinances. While the council is officially nonpartisan, all but one current council member are affiliated with the Democratic Party.
The government of Columbus, Ohio, headquartered at Columbus City Hall in Downtown Columbus, is organized into a mayor-council system. The mayor is responsible for the administration of city government. The Columbus City Council is a unicameral body consisting of nine members elected or appointed at-large. The city has numerous government agencies, responsible for public education, health, and safety; emergency services; recreational facilities; sanitation; water supply; and welfare services.
The Anaheim City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Anaheim, California.
Map of the seven districts effective January 2016
