A. THE COUNCIL'S DUTIES AND POWERS

FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
    Taipei City Council's main functions are twofold: Firstly, the council helps to prevent City Government autocracy, and secondly, it oversees the municipal administration, in other words, it ensures that through the administration, maximum welfare for the citizens is accomplished.
 

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COUNCIL
    1. To examine and resolve laws governing the rights and obligations of the citizens in Taipei:
        Enacting municipal laws according to the needs of the City. A law is null and void if it conflicts with the         Constitution or the laws of the Central Government.

        Two methods of enacting a new law:
        (1) Proposals submitted by the Taipei City Government, approved by the Council before implementation.
        (2) Proposals made by a council member (or members) approved by the Council, executed by the City               Government.

    2. To deliberate the annual budget and audit disbursement reports of the City Government:
        The council ensures that the money is well spent.

    3. To approve levy of special taxes, provisional taxes, and surtaxes in Taipei.

    4. To deliberate disposals of the municipal assets:
        Any disposition of municipal property has to be agreed upon by more than two-thirds of the councilors         before implementation.

    5. To deliberate the special municipality’s organizational autonomy statutes and bylaws and those of its         subordinate agencies:
        On behalf of citizens, the council oversees the running of the City Government and its organizations.

    6. To approve proposals made by the City Government and councilors:
        In doing so, the Council is able to reflect the citizens' views.

    7. To receive citizens’ petitions:
        The council resolves disputes between citizens and City Government offices.

    8. To carry out other functions according to the law.
 

A COUNCIL MEMBER'S DUTIES
    To reflect the citizens' views and act as the citizens' sounding board, to ensure that the city administration is moving in the right direction. To play the role of a go-between in settling disputes among the citizens, receive their complaints and act as a bridge between the citizens and the City Government.
On behalf of citizens, councilors examine and approve the city budget, municipal laws and regulations, and oversee the execution of municipal construction.
 

WAYS FOR COUNCILORS TO EXERCISE THEIR DUTIES AND POWERS
POWER OF RESOLUTION
    In order to examine all proposals submitted by different departments of the City Government, council members are apportioned into seven committees. After proposals have been reviewed in the respective committee, they are submitted to the Plenary for further deliberation. Council resolutions are passed by a simple majority of the members present. The Council then sends its resolutions to the City Government for implementation.

POWER OF INTERPELLATION
    The mayor and department commissioners of the City Government are required to make oral or written reports concerning the city administration to the Council and to answer questions raised by councilors in the Council Chamber.
    In the "Mayoral Interpellation Sessions", the mayor is required to be present as the chief administrative official, to respond to interpellations raised by councilors, regarding important municipal policies.
    In the "Department Interpellation Sessions", department commissioners are required to be present to respond to interpellations, raised by councilors, in regard to the running of their respective departments.

POWER OF PROPOSAL
    A council member has the power to submit proposals to the Council that should be co-signed by at least three other councilors. If approved by the Council, the proposals are sent to the City Government for implementation. On the other hand, proposals regarding municipal laws should be co-signed by at least one-fifth of the Council members, and examined by the Procedure Committee of the Council before being submitted to the Council Body for discussion and resolution.

B. ORGANIZATION CHART

D. SESSIONS

Regular and Provisional Sessions
    The Council holds a regular session every six months. A session lasts seventy days except when it includes the deliberation of annual municipal general budgets. In that case, the session period may extend to eighty days. Moreover, upon the request of the mayor, the speaker or more than one-third of the councilors, the council is required to hold provisional sessions within ten days. The period of each provisional session should not exceed ten days. No more than eight terms of provisional sessions can be held in a year.
 

Committees
    The seven committees are: Civil Affairs, Finance & Construction, Education, Transportation, Police & Sanitation, Public Works, and Legislation. Each committee is responsible for examining proposals regarding the official functions of the following respective City Government departments:
    1. Civil Affairs Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the City Government
         Secretariat, the Departments of Civil Affairs, Social Welfare, Labor Affairs, Land Administration,
         Compulsory Military Service, Personnel, Government Ethics, Commission of Rules & Regulations,
         Administrative Appeals, Research, Development & Evaluation, Indigenous Peoples, Hakka Affairs,
         Public Service Training Center and Taipei's District Offices.
    2. Finance & Construction Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the
         Departments of Finance, Economic Development, Budget, Accounting & Statistics, Taipei Feitsui
         Reservoir Administration and Taipei Water.
    3. Education Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the Departments of
         Education, Cultural Affairs and Information.
    4. Transportation Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the Departments of
         Transportation, Rapid Transit Systems and Taipei Rapid Transit Co., Ltd.
    5. Police & Sanitation Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the Departments
         of Police, Fire, Health and Environmental Protection.
    6. Public Works Committee- examining proposals regarding the official functions of the Departments of
         Public Works, Urban Development, Public Housing and Taipei Urban Planning Commission.
    7. Legislation Committee- examining proposals regarding municipal laws.
 

Efficacy and Reconsideration of Resolutions
    1. Council resolutions are passed by a simple majority of the members present. The Council then sends
         its resolutions to the City Government for implementation. In the case of delay or other unsatisfactory
         performance on the part of the City Government, the Council may ask for an explanation. If the Council is
         not satisfied with the explanation, it may report to the Executive Yuan to take appropriate actions.
    2. Whenever a resolution of the Council is deemed unsuitable for implementation, the City Government
         may send it back to the Council within 30 days, with explanatory reasons for reconsideration.
    3. The council should reconsider a resolution returned by the city government within 15 days of its arrival at
         the Council. During recess, the Council should reopen in seven days of its arrival and decide on the
         issue in three days. Failing to do so, the returned resolution becomes nullified.
    4. Upon reconsideration, if two-thirds of the councilors present still approve this resolution, the City
         Government must carry it out. But if the City Government believes that the resolution violates the law, it
         can appeal to the Administrative Yuan.
    5. A resolution made by this Council will be null and void if it conflicts with the Constitution or higher laws.