With less than 45 days to go until the 2024 Municipal Elections, millions of voters in more than 5,500 Brazilian municipalities are preparing to choose their new mayors, deputy mayors and councilors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But do you know exactly what the functions of each of these public agents are and how they directly impact the day-to-day life of your city?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor is the head of the municipal executive branch, responsible for administering the city and ensuring the well-being of the population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their duties go beyond simply managing the public sector; they must act to develop the social functions of the municipality. The main responsibilities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor is also responsible for seeking agreements and assistance for the municipality, presenting bills to the City Council and sanctioning or vetoing proposals approved by the Legislature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, it must act in cooperation with other spheres of power to promote benefits to the local population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The councilor is part of the municipal legislative branch and performs two main functions: to legislate and to monitor. It is his or her responsibility to propose, analyze, vote on and approve laws that directly influence the lives of citizens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the councilor must be in constant contact with society to understand its problems and seek viable solutions within the municipal sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another crucial function of the councilor is to oversee the municipal administration. This includes supervising the execution of city hall projects and programs, ensuring compliance with laws and the correct application of public resources. The councilor also collaborates with the Executive Branch in the discussion of public policies and has the duty to evaluate public accounts and investigate possible political-administrative infractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the main differences between these positions is the electoral system. Mayors are elected by the majority system, where the candidate who obtains more than half of the valid votes wins. In municipalities with more than 200,000 voters, if no candidate achieves this majority in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes compete in the second round. In smaller municipalities, the election is decided in the first round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Council members are elected by the proportional system, where the distribution of seats in the City Council is based on the electoral and party quotients. This means that the candidates with the most votes do not always secure a seat, as the election also takes into account the total votes of the parties or coalitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n