San Diego City Council facts for kids
The San Diego City Council is the group of people who make the laws for the city of San Diego, California. Think of them as the city's lawmakers. San Diego has a "strong-mayor" system. This means the mayor has a lot of power, but the City Council can sometimes overrule the mayor's decisions.
The City Council was first created in 1850. There are nine members on the council. Each council member serves for four years. They can serve for two terms in a row, but then they must take a break.
Currently, five members of the council belong to the Democratic Party. The other four members belong to the Republican Party.
What the City Council Does
The San Diego City Council has important jobs for the city. They help make sure San Diego runs smoothly.
Making and Passing Laws
Council members can suggest new laws for the city. They also vote on laws that others present. For a new law to pass, at least five of the nine council members must vote "yes."
The mayor can say "no" to a law the council passes. This is called a veto. But the council can still make the law happen. If at least six council members vote "yes" again, they can overrule the mayor's veto. This means the law will pass even if the mayor doesn't agree.