|
The City of Boca Raton is governed by a five member City Council elected at-large to designated seats on a non-partisan basis. The Mayor and Council Members are elected for three-year terms. Members who have served two consecutive terms are not eligible to be elected to that office for the succeeding term. The Mayor and Council members seats designated A and B are elected in one year, the Council members in the seats designated C and D are elected in the following year. Subsequently, there is a year without a council election. The City Charter was changed by the electorate in 2006 to provide for two three-year terms.
The Mayor presides at all Council meetings and other public functions and is the ceremonial head of the City. The Deputy Mayor presides in the absence of the Mayor.
The Mayor and City Council determine policy legislatively. A City Manager is appointed by the Council to administer policy and manage the City’s departments. As chief administrative officer, the City Manager appoints all city employees and is responsible for the activities of the departments as well as the successful completion of programs approved by the City Council. The City Council also appoints the City Attorney, who provides legal advice and counsel to the Mayor and City Council and to City Staff.
The Mayor and City Council also serve as Commissioners of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). In this capacity they hire an executive director and make decisions that affect the development of the Community Redevelopment area, generally known as downtown Boca Raton.
City Council meetings are usually held in the City Council Chamber of City Hall at 6:00PM on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, with workshop meetings held on the preceding Monday at 1:30PM. The CRA usually meets at 1:30PM on the second and fourth Monday of each month or immediately following the adjournment of the City Council workshop meeting. All meetings are open to the public, and citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in these meetings. Dates and times should be verified with the City Clerk’s Office in advance.
|
