Question

Should a local government allow elected city council members to manage, or should they be the group that decides policy rather than manage the day-to-day affairs of the community?

Answer 1

To understand the above question we must first understand the role and functioning of both local governments as well as elected city council members.

Function of local government :-

They are the third tier of the government which is mainly formulated to address micro civic concerns , bringing decentralisation and involving community in planning and implementing schemes.

Function of council members :-

They are mainly concerned with :-

1) Representing the interest of electors and residents .

2) Provide leadership and counseling to the community.

3) Bridging the gap between government and community .

4) Participate in decision making process of the government .

Policies and Implementation :-

As we get an idea from the above that both policy making and it's implementation does not come under the purview of council members. Their role is limited to :-

1) Representing the interest of community while policy is being formed .

2) They can review the formulated policy and suggest any changes as per the demand of the locals .

Thus it is evident that both policy formulation and it's implementation are to be controlled by local government itself. They can however delegate the work for effectiveness and timely implementation but the ultimate responsibility rests upon them .