Why is the municipal council responsible to the entire municipality?
The responsibility and accountability of the municipal council to the entire municipality is an important concept for students to understand. Elected officials on a municipality’s council are elected to look after the interests of the entire municipality. In a municipality with a ward system, an official who has been elected to represent a ward must be careful not to place the interest of the ward or electoral division above the interest of the whole municipality. As challenging as it may be at times, elected officials must base any decision on what is best for the entire municipality. The council’s effectiveness depends on elected officials providing input on their areas while thinking and voting for the whole municipality.
