With elections right around the corner, you may be asking yourself, “What does the Salt Lake City Council do?” Here is the skinny on their roles and responsibilities, a few initiatives in motion, and what you can do to get involved.
What does the city council do?
Like our federal government, the municipal government is divided into separate but equal branches; in this case, executive (mayor) and legislative (city council). The council approves budgets, votes on ordinances, and holds regular public meetings. In a nutshell, they’re responsible for making decisions and setting policies that affect the daily lives of Salt Lake City residents.
For example, affordable housing (or the lack thereof) is a major concern for Salt Lakers. Two proposals the council is considering are the Thriving in Place anti-displacement plan and new Affordable Housing Incentives, which encourage the development of more housing throughout the city.
👀 Learn more about key proposals the city council is currently working on.
Who is your council member?
Each council member represents one of seven similarly populated districts. They serve four-year terms and work part-time. The current council members are Victoria Petro (District 1), Alejandro Puy (District 2), Chris Wharton (District 3), Ana Valdemoros (District 4), Darin Mano (District 5), Dan Dugan (District 6), and Sarah Young (District 7).
📍Not sure which district you fall in? Check the map to find your council member.
How can you get involved?
Attending city council meetings is a great way to stay informed and make your voice heard (plus, we love the “Parks & Rec” of it all). Tuesdays are meeting days. The council’s work session (where they’re informed and ask questions about proposals) starts at 2 p.m., and the formal meeting (where they vote) is at 7 p.m. You can learn what topics the council plans to tackle during their meeting through the agenda portal.
Public comment happens during the formal meeting, and you can join online or in person. And if you missed the meeting? No problem — sign up for recaps to stay on top of city business.
