Political life
COLLEGE AND COUNCIL
The agreement proposal/s will be entrusted to the Municipal Secretary no later than 12/15 following the elections.
The agreement proposal includes identifying its political groups, the identity of the Magistrate, of the Deputy mayors, and of the Council Chairman for the present Social Action who presents different sexes.
The majority agreement will be adopted by the majority of the existing council members within three months (at the latest) following the date of validation of the elections.
The Magistrate is rightfully elected, the Belgian counselor who has received the most preference votes on the list that has received the most votes among the political groups that are parts of the majority agreement adopted during a public hearing and out loud by the Municipal Council.
Council Chairman for the Social Action has a deliberative vote in the College - except when it comes to supervising the decisions of the Council for Social Action. In this case he will be heard, at his or at the College’s request, but does not participate in deliberations.
If the Chairman is a member of the Municipal Council, he has a deliberative vote in it. If he does not participate in the Municipal Council, he has an advisory vote.
The Magistrate presides over the Municipal Council and the Municipal College.
The agenda of the Municipal College is proposed by the Magistrate; the agenda of the Municipal Council is decided by the College.
Any proposal submitted to the Municipal Council as well as to the Municipal College must receive the majority of votes in order to be accepted;
* For the Council, the proposal is rejected if a tie vote occurs (example: 20 voters: 10 votes for - 10 votes against)
* For the College, if a tie vote occurs (example: 6 voters: 3 votes for - 3 votes against) the affair is postponed to another meeting, unless the college chooses to contact a Council Member so that the majority emerges.
The Magistrate does not have a casting vote (contrary to what many citizens believe!) unless the urgency is recognized by the majority of the College prior to the discussion of the point - or in the case that during three meetings the tie vote occurred by the same affair (unless a majority was established in the College in order to contact a Council Member for the majority).
It is important to stress that the Magistrate is the Authority in charge of the administrative police on the municipal territory; when it comes to the judicial police however (fines, inquiry…), he cannot interfere in any way - the responsibility will lie with the Senior Crown prosecutor.
