By Wendy Nickerson, PSAB outreach Training consultantPENNSYLVA

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STATE ASSOCIATIO

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F BO

ROUGHS

Roles & Responsibilities of Council Members and Mayors

Understanding your role will help establish better governance

Tullytown Borough, Bucks County

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If you are a newly-elected bor-ough official, welcome to your new role. If you are a recently re-elected or a mid-term bor-ough official, thank you for your continued public service. Bor-ough council members and may-ors play a major role in borough governance – to use the taxpay-ers’ money to keep the residents safe; to provide necessary and well-functioning services; and to offer residents and guests an inviting community in which to live, work, and visit.

The terms roles and responsi-bilities are often used together, though they have different meanings. A role is a socially expected behavior, usually deter-mined by an individual’s status. A responsibility, sometimes referred to as a duty, is a moral, legal, or mental accountability and able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations.

Roles are activities performed by elected officials that are not required by law; they are done by tradition or as a means of fulfill-ing an unwritten obligation of the office someone holds. Respon-sibilities are either required by law or are actions that can have a legal consequence for inappropri-ate or unlawful behavior.

The responsibilities of borough elected officials come from laws that are enacted to help guide local government officials while they perform their duties. There are laws with which every elect-ed official should become famil-iar including the Borough Code, Municipalities Planning Code, Sunshine Law, Ethics Act, and Open Records Act.

The Borough Code (Title 8, 2014 Ed.) outlines the duties and powers of council members and the mayor. Chapter 10, sub-chapter A, in the Borough Code outlines the powers and duties of borough council. Section 1001: Organization of councilSection 1002: Oath of members of councilSection 1003: When the mayor may preside over council and vote; attendance of mayor at coun-cil meeting; and breaking tiesSection 1004: Failure to organizeSection 1005: Powers of councilSection 1006: Duties of councilSection 1009: Recording and preserving minutes

The mayor’s powers and duties are covered under Chapter 10ASection 10A01: Eligibility of mayorSection 10A02: Incompatible officesSection 10A03: Oath of mayorSection 10A04: Salary of mayor

Section 10A05: Salaried mayor not to receive certain feesSection 10A06: General powers of mayorSection 10A07: Duties of mayorSection 10A08: President or vice president of council to act as mayor

Now that we know where the statutory regulations originate, let’s break down the roles and responsibilities of mayors and council members.

The roles of the mayor include:• Perform marriage ceremo-

nies (This is a privilege, not a requirement of the office)

• Attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies

• Represent the borough at public events and celebrations

• Be involved with the police department in community projects

• Submit articles for the bor-ough website or newsletter

• Attend and participate in municipal meetings

Roles & Responsibilities of Council Members and Mayors

Greenville Borough, Mercer County

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• Speak at schools and local functions

• Attend conferences and train-ing to increase knowledge

The roles of the council members include:• Hold public forums to discuss

potential projects and citizen ideas

• Become involved in commu-nity projects

• Speak at schools and local functions

• Provide a website or newslet-ter for the borough residents

• Weigh all issues from a big picture perspective

• Maintain a good relationship with others, even though people do not always agree

• Refrain from being a one-issue official

• Balance needs with available funding to remain fiscally responsible

• Attend conferences and train-ing to increase knowledge

The duties of the mayor include:• Administer oaths and

affirmations• Preside over mandatory

reorganization meeting• Vote when it is necessary to

break tied votes of council (It is important to note that a mayor cannot vote on hiring or firing police personnel, or if there is a conflict of interest)

• Take part in council discussions

• Declare an emergency and

regulate certain actions during this time

• Administer the police depart-ment

• Inform council of fees charged and collected for performing marriage ceremonies

• Enforce ordinances and regulations

The duties of the council members include:• Hold one public meeting per

month

• Ensure that records are kept

• Hire and fire personnel

• Set compensation for employees

• Provide municipal services (mandatory and optional)

• Set tax rate annually

• Establish an annual budget

• Act as the vacancy board to fill vacancies in elected offices

• Delegate duties to the manag-er (if applicable)

• Set pay/stipend for mayor and council members (Does not take effect during elect-ed official’s current term of office)

• Attend conferences and train-ing to increase knowledge

There are also some additional responsibilities for the council president and vice president.

The roles of the council president include:• Utilize parliamentary

procedure

• Assign members to borough committees and take part in those committees

Deemston Borough, Washington County

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• Act as an unofficial contact person in many municipali-ties, especially small boroughs

• Lead by example• Maintain order and control at

the meeting• Delegate responsibly

The duties of the council president include:• Preside at council meetings • Sign ordinances, resolutions,

and contracts • Vote, unless there is a conflict

of interest• Serve as the mayor if he is

incapacitated (In this case the council president votes as the mayor, not as council member)

• Call a special meeting when necessary

The roles of the council vice president include:• Stay current on all issues

before council in the event of being needed to fill in for the council president in the case of an absence

• Assist the council president as needed

The duties of the council vice president include:• Preside over council meetings

in the absence of the president• Serve as the mayor if both the

mayor and the council presi-dent are incapacitated

Effective elected officials under-stand their roles and responsibil-ities. These officials proudly and effectively serve their residents. The PSAB website has many

links to resources to help you serve to your full capacity. Visit www.boroughs.org frequently for training, legislative updates, important research resources, PSAB staff contact information, current videos, conferences, and more. (B)

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