Grundhavn City Council
Grundhavn City Council Grundhavn Byråd | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
| History | |
| Founded | January 1, 1746 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 56 City Councillors |
 | |
City Council political groups | Government (24)
|
| Elections | |
City Council voting system | Parallel voting, 38 seats (IRV + Proportional), indirect election, 18 seats |
City Council last election | 17 January, 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| City Hall Grundhavn, Grundhavn | |
The Grundhavn City Council, also known as the City Council of Grundhavn, or City Council, is the unicameral legislature of Grundhavn.
City Council existed prior to the official Constitution of Grundhavn and first met in 1746, but since 1834 has had its powers enumerated by the constitution. It meets in Grundhavn City Hall.
It has 56 members, 38 of whom are elected and 18 who are appointed. The 38 elected members are elected by parallel representation, with 8 members elected by instant-runoff voting from each of the 8 quarters (bydelen) and 30 elected by nationwide proportional representation. Of the 18 appointed members, 9 are appointed by a congress of labour unions and 9 are appointed by a congress of business sectors, commonly known as "guilds." All members serve four-year terms.
To be eligible for election, a candidate must be aged at least 30, have been a citizen of Grundhavn for nine years, and be an inhabitant of the quarter they seek to represent (or simply live in Grundhavn in the case of proportional seats); in the case of the members elected to represent the guilds or unions, they must be a member of said guild or union.
History[edit | edit source]
Composition[edit | edit source]
The 8 IRV seats elected from the city quarters often go to the largest parties, even as voters are given the opportunity to rank as many candidates as they wish. This is because, despite the proliferation of smaller parties, the larger parties still attract the largest number of first-preference votes and thus survive to later rounds. The 30 proportional representation seats have no official electoral threshold, but the 30 seats mean that there is an effective threshold of 3.33% (1/30). It is not uncommon to see parties with only 1 seat in the City Council, since many can reach the threshold of 3.33%.
The 18 appointed seats can be divided into a "Union Bloc" and a "Business Bloc", with 9 members each sitting in their own group in the City Council.
To choose the Union Bloc representatives, representatives of the different sectoral unions meet. Although there are many sectoral unions, influential unions like the Hospital Workers' Union, Longshoremen's Union, Steelworkers' Union, and Fishermen's Union are virtually guaranteed seats. By law, no more than one representative of any union may be elected.
To choose the Business Bloc representatives, representatives of the different guilds meet. Although there are many guilds, influential unions like the Traders' Guild, Bankers' Guild, Hospitality Guild, and Farmers' Guild are virtually guaranteed seats. By law, no more than one representative of any guild may be elected.
Role[edit | edit source]
The City Council has primary legislative responsibility for all matters within Grundhavn. To become law, a bill must first be approved by the City Council, and then by the Lord Mayor and State Council.
The Government of Grundhavn is responsible to the City Council, and the Supreme Councillor stays in office only as long as he or she retains the support of the City Council. It is also the role of the City Council to elect the Lord Mayor and approve or reject his or her nominees for the State Council.