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Public Administration vocabulary · Local Government

Council

Meaning in public administration, with examples

/ˈkaʊnsəl/nounCore term

In public administration, council means: A group of elected or appointed people who make decisions for an area or organization, especially the elected body that governs a city, town or district.

In Turkish: meclis, belediye meclisi, kurul

How it is used

Councils hold meetings, pass decisions and approve budgets, and their members are councillors (US: council members). In British English the council often means the whole local authority, including its staff: I called the council about my bins.

Example sentences

  1. The council approved the new parking rules by a large majority.

  2. Residents can attend council meetings and ask questions at the end.

Common collocations

  • city council
  • council meeting
  • local council
  • council decision
  • provincial council
  • mayorThe person who leads a city or town's local government; depending on the country, a mayor may be directly elected, chosen by the council or hold a mainly ceremonial role.
  • municipalityA city or town that has its own local government, or that local government body itself, with duties such as water supply, waste, local roads and building permits.
  • local governmentThe system of elected councils and their administrations that run services for a city, town or region, such as waste collection, local roads and parks.
  • bylawA rule made by a local authority or another body under powers given by law, which applies only in its own area or to its own members.

More terms: Local Government

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