Franklin Matters: What is the Role of the Town Council?

Monday, April 29, 2019

1. A member of the Council, in relation to his/her community should:

A. Realize that his/her basic function is to make policy, with administration delegated to the Administrator.
B. Realize that he/she is one of a team and should abide by, and carry out, all Council decisions once they are made.
C. Be well-informed concerning the duties of a Council member on both local and state levels.
D. Remember that he/she represents the entire community at all times.
E. Accept the office as a means of unselfish service, not benefit personally or politically from his/her Council activities.
F. In all appointments, avoid political patronage by judging all candidates on merit, experience, and qualifications only.
G. Abide by the ethics established by the State and not use the position to obtain inside information on matters which may benefit someone personally.

2. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with administrative officers of the Town, should:

A. Endeavor to establish sound, clearly defined policies that will direct and support the administration for the benefit of the people of the community.
B. Recognize and support the administrative chain of command and refuse to act on complaints as an individual outside the administration.
C. Give the Administrator full responsibility for discharging the duties of his/her office.

3. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with fellow Council members, should:

A. Recognize that action at official legal meetings is binding and that he/she alone cannot bind the Council outside of such meetings.
B. Not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters that will come before the Council until he/she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Council meeting.
C. Uphold the intent of executive session and respect the privileged communication that exists in executive session.
D. Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed.
E. Treat with respect the rights of all members of the Council despite differences of opinion.