city council

A city council is the legislative body of a city. In a mayor-and-council system, this council works with a mayor, who may be elected by the people or by the council itself. The mayor can have either ceremonial duties (weak-mayor system) or significant executive power, including the ability to veto council actions (strong-mayor system). Historically, members of city councils were sometimes called aldermen, a title with roots in Anglo-Saxon England that evolved to designate officials with legislative, administrative, and judicial functions. In some cities, like Toronto, the structure of municipal government has evolved significantly over time, consolidating smaller communities into a single "megacity" governed by a mayor and councillors.1234