Welcome to the Hargeisa City Council.There are 25 members on the Hargeisa City Council: One Mayor and 24 Council Members. The entire Council is elected at large by the voters of the City. Each member serves a staggered 5 year term. The Mayor, elected the following year. Term limits are now in place, which means the Mayor and Council Members may serve in their respective seat for a maximum of 10 years, or two consecutive terms.

The Mayor and Council appoint the City Secretary, who serves as the Chief Administrator of the City organization. Hargeisa practices a Mayor form of government.

The Hargeisa City Council has regular weekly meetings each Friday. Throughout the year, there are some canceled meetings, so be sure to check ahead of time. Council agendas, transcripts from the meetings and approved minutes will be all available on the Web in the near future. The City of Hargeisa will have its own Radio Station which will offer live Real Audio Broadcast of the Council meetings each Friday. Council committee and subcommittee agendas can also be found on the Web in the near futre.




THE CITY SECRETARY
The City Secretary is appointed by the Board of Council to oversee the daily operations of the City, advise and administer the policies and procedures of the Council, and enforce city by-laws and actions passed at City Meeting. The Secretary's authority and responsibilities are established in the Secretary-City Manager Act of 1999. Efforts are underway to create a High Performance Organization culture with in which the City Secretary shares power and decision making with the Mayor and the Management In concert, the City Secretary and other members of the Management Team set the direction of the organization by defining a mission statement supported by a strategic plan with defined goals and objectives. With-in the high performance environment people are viewed as the greatest assets of the City and are encouraged to work to their highest potential both within the traditional hierarchy and on cross-functional teams.

The City Secretary submits to the Board of Councilers a proposed annual budget that includes revenue, expenditure, and tax rate projections for the upcoming fiscal year. The City Secretary's staff works with the Senior Management Team to coordinate the budget development process. A basic budget document is prepared to meet the January 15th bylaw requirement. More documentation and information is provided in the Secretary's Proposed Budget which is prepared before City Hall Meeting. The Secretary and staff also submit a Capital Budget and a five-year Capital Improvement Program to the Board of Councilers on an annual basis. Staff coordinate budget numbers in the warrant and presentations for the Annual City Hall Meeting.

Staff members in the City Secretry's Office are responsible for managing the personnel, benefits, and risk management functions of the city. These include the formulation and implementation of personnel policies, collective bargaining, wages and salaries administration, recruitment, worker's
compensation, police/fire. Personnel records are managed and maintained by staff in this office. The City Secretry appoints new employees and determines employee compensation. In addition, the Secretry negotiates all contracts with the City and its subcontractors.