Your city council makes decisions that impact your daily life. They decide how much to spend on things like schools, parks and public safety, and they can change taxes to raise or lower rates. They also set the rules on how a city will be run, for example by deciding what kinds of businesses can operate in certain areas (can you build an apartment building where there are mostly single-family homes?), and whether or not there are rules about where you can park your car.
Most of the work is done in committee meetings and hearings. Each Council Member is assigned — by a vote of their fellow Members — to serve on a number of standing and select committees, and most are on at least one subcommittee. There are also caucuses, groups of Members who share common interests, to ensure that all parts of the City are represented.
Some cities have districts or wards, with one council person representing each area. Others have at-large voting, meaning all residents vote for every council member. In some places, politicians are partisan, meaning they belong to a particular political party and that party’s names appear on the ballot when citizens go to vote. In other places, they are non-partisan but may get endorsements from political parties and try to appeal to a wide range of voters.