The municipal council governs the municipality

An amendment is a change to the text of a council resolution proposed by the Mayor and Aldermen. You can view any amendments that have been tabled via the Council Information System.

• View the amendments

A motion is a statement by the council on a matter that is on the council agenda for decision-making. A motion may be a wish, a request or an instruction. A councillor may also use a motion to express disapproval of something: this is known as a motion of disapproval, a motion of no confidence (against one or more aldermen or the entire Executive Committee) or a motion of regret (which is slightly less severe than a motion of censure). If the council adopts a motion, this is not binding. It does not constitute an amendment to a decision. It is, however, a political statement supported by the council (or a majority thereof).

• View the motions

This is a motion on a subject that is not on the city council’s agenda. It usually concerns a topical issue.

• View the motions

Councillors submit written questions regarding events or plans by the mayor and aldermen that are not on the municipal council’s agenda. The mayor and aldermen must answer these questions within four weeks.

• View the written questions – and the answers to them

At the end of each council meeting, a councillor may ask the Mayor and Aldermen a question on a topical issue during Question Time. A councillor must submit the question by 4.00 pm at the latest on the day of the council meeting. The Presidium of the Municipal Council may refuse the question if the subject matter has not been formulated with sufficient precision or if the subject is already on the agenda for that day’s council meeting.

Current affairs questions give councillors the opportunity to put several questions on a single topic to the mayor and aldermen. The questions are sent to the mayor and aldermen in advance and are answered during the municipal council meeting. The Presidium of the Municipal Council may refuse to take questions on current affairs if the subject is not formulated with sufficient precision or if the subject is already being discussed during that day’s council meeting.

An urgent debate is a council debate on a topical issue. It is a less formal way of holding the mayor and aldermen to account. Unlike with topical questions, this council procedure allows for a debate between all municipal council groups. Council groups wishing to hold an urgent debate must submit their questions no later than 24 hours before the next plenary council meeting. During the plenary council meeting, the council takes a majority decision on whether the urgent debate can actually take place.

This procedure is used to question the mayor and aldermen or to call them to account during a council meeting. It is a ‘far-reaching’ procedure, usually concerning a politically sensitive issue.

This is a supervisory tool that the municipal council as a whole can deploy by a majority decision. It involves an (often in-depth) investigation into a (political) issue. It is a tool with significant political implications. In January 2012, the report of the council inquiry into the land management company was published. And in December 2005, the report of the Reesink council inquiry was published.

A proposal put forward by a councillor, on which the municipal council takes a decision. An example of such a proposal is the amendment to the by-law on shop opening hours.