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F ~- i <br />t ~ /~ ~ r <br />~~ <br />,~~ ~~ <br />~~ 4~ ~v. <br />T <br />Cry Cor~c~ Code of Cork, <br />City o Elk ~~rer, <br />Formed as a statutory city of the State of Minnesota, the City of EIk River functions <br />under the weak mayor~council form of municipal government, The city council is the <br />legal body charged with authority over and accountability for alI the business of the <br />city, <br />The mayor's powers inthe weak mayor~council plan are no greater than those of <br />other members of the council, except that the mayor is the presiding officer at <br />council meetings and has other legal and ceremonial responsibilities, The mayor has <br />no extraordinary power to individually make administrative decisions for the city, <br />The mayor and council members, herein referred to as the city council, speaks for <br />the city as a group, Roles and responsibilities for the mayor and individual council <br />members are derived from the role and responsibility of the council as a group, not <br />the other way around. All mayor and council member practices must recognize that <br />it is the council, not individual council members, which has authority, <br />The city council speaks authoritatively onlywhen it passes an official motion at a <br />legallyrcalled public meeting, Statements or actions bythe mayor or council <br />members have no legal authority outside of this setting, The city council speaks with <br />one voice or not at all, This "one voice" authority does not require unanimous votes <br />but it does require all council members, even those who voted in the minority, to <br />respect the decision thatwas made bythe majority, Council decision can be changed <br />bythe council, but never by individual council members. <br />The city council's primary responsibility is to serve the best interest of the residents <br />of the city, The council is first servantto its' constituency and then leader of the city <br />staff, boards and commissions, <br />The citycouncil is a governing body, not a management body. The city council <br />governs through policysetting~ It is from this policy setting position that the city <br />council devises the structure of management and employs the staff to carry out <br />council-approved policies, ordinances, and directives, <br />Governing requires strong commitment and dedication, an ability to think <br />conceptually and with along-term perspective City council members are visionary <br />and provide long-term leadership, Governing also requires the ability to welcome <br />diversity of opinions but abide by group decisions. City council members must be <br />able to speak on behalf of their constituency rather than merely from their awn or <br />some other group perspective. They must place organizational accountability above <br />personal gratification, <br />