The Council is the City's legislative body, enacting the laws and
establishing the policies which govern the main activities of the
City.
The Mayor is the executive head of the City Government.
He/She presides at all Council meetings, signs all legal instruments
and documents to which the City is a party.
Responsible for assisting the Mayor with planning, organizing and
coordinating various municipal services, the City Manager is the
Mayor and Council's advisor. The City Manager handles
day-to-day administrative matters and assists the Mayor in the
implementation of City Council policy. In addition, the City
manager supervises the investigation of service complaints by
citizens and initiates corrective action by the appropriate
department.
Keeping the community informed is the initial step in intelligent
government action and responsibility. In addition to
newspapers, radio and television, supplementary information on
virtually any subject relating to local government is available at
the Civic Center and the Public Library.
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Ways In Which
The Individual Citizen Can and Should Play A Part In Local
Government Include:
Voting in municipal elections (The citizen
who does not vote has no valid basis for complaint if the
government is not run in accordance with his/her wishes.)
Expressing views and opinions to the City
Council through both written and oral communication
Supporting law enforcement, thereby
maintaining order in the community.
What the people of the community do, or fail
to do, is a decisive factor in determining the quality and
responsiveness of the City government. In the democratic
system of representative government, the ultimate power and
authority rests with the people. |
The
City of Des Plaines is operated under the Council-Manager form of
government as outlined in Article 5 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
The people elect the Mayor, City Clerk, and Aldermen.
