Meetings
- 1st and 3rd Monday of every month (except holidays), beginning at 4:00 PM unless otherwise stated in public notice
- General order of meeting: 4PM Reports on items not requiring vote; 5:30PM reserved for closed meeting if needed; 6:30PM Regular business meeting
- Council Chamber at City Hall (in tandem with electronic meetings via Zoom)
- Council sets the annual meeting schedule at its first meeting of the calendar year.
- Visit our streaming pages for video of recent meetings.
The 4:00pm Council Work Sessions are in-person and limited to City Council members and up to 3 staff members in the gallery, with virtual access available for the public. The 6:30pm Council Meetings are in-person in Council Chamber with up to 23 pre-registered members of the public and 2 media representatives, and up to 3 City staff members in the gallery (usually the City Manager, City Attorney and Clerk of Council). Members of the public may visit THIS LINK to reserve a seat in-person or visit THIS LINK to register for Zoom virtual meetings.
In-person public participation at the 6:30pm portion of the meeting is based on observance of social distancing and mask wearing is strongly encouraged. All formal presentations are done virtually. Two microphone stands are set up to accommodate public comment in Council Chamber. Virtual public comments are managed by City Communications staff. In an effort to keep everyone safe, and due to the small size of Council Chamber, we will maintain this meeting approach at the City Manager's discretion.
Agendas
Council meeting agendas may be accessed from the City website and are available in the office of the Clerk of Council. Upon written or phone request, the Clerk of Council will answer questions regarding Council business. To access agendas, packets, and minutes: www.charlottesville.gov/agenda
About the City Council
The City of Charlottesville operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Charlottesville voters elect a five member Council to serve at large as the City’s legislative and governing body. The members serve four year terms, and they select one Councilor to serve as Mayor and one as Vice Mayor for two years. Municipal elections are held in November in odd-numbered years. The terms of Council members are staggered so that three are elected in one year and two are elected two years later. If a vacancy occurs, Council elects a new member to serve out the unexpired term.
Mayor & Vice Mayor
The Mayor presides over meetings, may call special meetings, makes some appointments to advisory boards and serves as the ceremonial head of government. The Vice Mayor substitutes whenever the Mayor is not available.
Role
City Council appoints the City Manager, the Director of Finance, the City Assessor, the Clerk of the Council and members of major policy-making and advisory Boards and Commissions. The Clerk represents Council to the public during regular business hours, notifying citizens of Council meetings and maintaining public records of the meetings. Council makes policy in the areas of: City Planning and Finances, Human Development, Public Safety and Justice, Public Utilities, and Transportation.
Powers
City Council has specific powers to:
- Adopt a Budget
- Borrow Money
- Collect Revenues
- Issue Bonds
- Levy Taxes
- Make Appropriations
- Pass Ordinances
- Provide for the Payment of Public Debts