More than 5,500 municipalities choose their representatives in this year’s municipal elections
There are less than 4 months left until the 2024 municipal elections, in which new mayors, vice-mayors and councilors will be elected in more than 5,500 municipalities across the country. It is important to distinguish the functions of each one in order to monitor powers and demand unfulfilled promises.
The person who holds the position of mayor is the head of the municipal Executive Branch, who is responsible for administering the city. The councilor is part of the local Legislative Branch and is responsible for representing society in drafting bills and supervising city hall actions.
What does the mayor do?
In short, it is up to the mayor to develop the social functions of a municipality and guarantee the well-being of its inhabitants through actions such as:
- organize public services of local interest;
- protect the municipality’s historical-cultural heritage;
- ensure public transport and traffic organization;
- serve the community, listening to its demands and desires;
- pave streets, preserve and build public spaces, such as squares and parks;
- care for the environment, the cleanliness of the municipality and basic sanitation;
- implement and maintain health centers, schools and municipal daycare centers in good working order, in addition to taking care of school transport for children;
- collect, administer and apply municipal taxes in the best possible way.
The mayor or mayor is also responsible for promoting urban development and territorial planning; the search for agreements, benefits and aid for the municipality it represents; the presentation of bills to the City Council, in addition to the sanction or sealing of bills approved by the city’s Legislative Branch.
The holder of the position is also responsible for political intermediation with other spheres of power, always with the aim of benefiting the local population.
What are the functions of the councilor?
The role of the councilor is mainly to propose, analyze, vote and approve laws and changes to existing municipal guidelines, in order to improve the lives of people residing in the locality. To do this, they must be available to listen to society, understand the population’s problems and seek possible solutions within the municipal sphere.
The person holding the position of councilor also has a supervisory role. He is responsible for monitoring the municipal administration, mainly in supervising city hall projects, programs and actions. The councilor must evaluate aspects such as compliance with the law and the budget, as well as the good application and management of public resources.
In addition to monitoring, this parliamentarian can also collaborate with the local Executive Branch, through the discussion of public policies to be implemented in the municipality. Finally, the councilor has the duty to assess public accounts and investigate political-administrative infractions on the part of the mayor and the members of the municipal Legislative Chamber themselves.
How are mayors and councilors elected?
One of the differences between these positions is the way in which candidates are elected. The election for mayor or mayor takes place by majority voting systemwhich is also applied to choosing the occupants of the positions of president of the Republic, governor and senator.
In municipalities with more than 200 thousand voters, the choice of the mayor can be made in two rounds, if a candidate does not reach more than half of the valid votes in the first round to be elected.
In this case, the 2 candidates with the most votes in the first stage compete in the second round. In municipalities with an electorate below this number, whoever obtains the highest number of valid votes in the first round wins the mayorship.
The election for councilor or councilor takes place at the proportional system. This means that those with the most votes do not always get a position on the City Council. O Electoral Code (Law No. 4,737/1965) provides for the application of electoral and party quotients for this type of vote.
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