Across the country, city councils (or local legislative bodies) are elected to decide which services will be provided and how they will be paid for. They can also set policy, create boards and commissions, and pass laws that make a difference in people’s lives.
The New York City Council is no exception. Its members have a lot to do — and they work hard for their constituents. They have offices in their districts and meet in their chambers on the Council side of City Hall twice a week for Stated Meetings, and at other times when they’re in session (which can be either two or four years). They are supported by professional staff who assist them with legislative tasks. They also have committees that deep-dive into different topics, such as human services, infrastructure, and government affairs.
Council Members, who are known by the titles of “councilmember” and “city councillor,” also work in caucuses, groups of lawmakers with shared interests, to ensure that the needs of their communities are represented. In past four-year sessions — twice as long as this one — former council speakers Corey Johnson and Melissa Mark-Viverito oversaw the enactment of more than 700 bills.
Over the course of this truncated two-year session, the Council has addressed several major issues. It has released a mental health roadmap and passed legislation to expand access to free doula services. It has also held a series of hearings to hold the administration accountable for its responses to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests over systemic racism and police brutality.
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