The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years. Under the current city charter, if the population in the city limits goes past 2.1 million residents, the current nine-member city council districts will be expanded with the addition of two city council districts. Since the threshold was passed, the city created two new districts.
The council works with the mayor in a strong mayor–council government model. The City Council monitors the performance of city agencies, confirm the mayor's appointments, and makes land use decisions as well as legislating on a variety of other issues.
The mayor chairs meetings of City Council and has a vote in the proceedings in all cases. In the event of the mayor's absence, the mayor pro-tem, a member of council chosen for the position by fellow Council Members, presides over Council meetings.
The Administrative Office of City Council (AOCC), a division of the Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department which serves administrative duties for the council, has its offices in the City Hall Annex in Downtown Houston.
Read more about Houston City Council: History, Members, Districts, Notable Former Members
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—Libby Houston (b. 1941)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)