Mayors’ Tasks

Chair of the municipal council

The municipal council sets the main priorities for municipal administration and oversees the municipal executive. The council consists of directly elected representatives. As chair, the mayor’s task is to ensure the council’s meetings run smoothly. The mayor is not a member of the council and thus may not vote or put forward agenda items. However, mayors may take part in the council’s deliberations.

Chair of the municipal executive

The municipal executive – chaired by the mayor – administers the municipality. The mayor ensures that policy is prepared, adopted and implemented on time. The mayor may suggest issues to discuss and take part in discussions. The municipal council oversees the executive.
As a member of the executive, the mayor can also have tasks in a specific area, for example human resources, finance and economic affairs or information and public relations. The municipal executive decides which tasks (known as ‘portfolios’) to allocate to the mayor.

Responsible for public order and safety

Mayors are responsible for public order and safety in the municipality. They have to respond to and prevent antisocial behaviour and disturbances of the peace. They may for instance prohibit public gatherings if they are unable to guarantee the public’s safety. For this purpose, they have authority over the police and fire services.