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City Council Home
City Council meets on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays each month at
2:00pm & 7:00pm in Council Chambers.
The City of St. Helens operates as a Council-Mayor form of government consisting of a Mayor, elected to a two-year term, and four Council members, elected to four-year terms. At each biennial general election, the Mayor and two Councilors are elected.
The City Council is governed by the City Charter and adopts ordinances which enact laws known as the St. Helens Municipal Code. They also adopt resolutions that set policy or regulation of matters within the City. City councilors also attend other meetings throughout the community and public hearings as needed.
The Council conducts work sessions on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 2:00 p.m. These meetings allow Council and staff to discuss policy and other issues of relevance to the City. Formal meetings are held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m., which is where they vote on official items, including ordinances, resolutions, contracts, expenditures, minutes, etc. Periodically, a public forums and public hearings are held which addresses a topic pertinent to the City and its residents.
The Mayor assigns each Council member (and him/herself) to boards and commissions and other responsibilities. Council members, by charter, are commissioners for their assignments and are responsible to report back to the rest of the Council with activities and updates that are currently happening in their departments.
The Mayor and Councilor positions are all non-partisan. They represent all residents of the City and are not elected by wards or districts. The City Charter requires that the Mayor and Councilors be registered voters within the city limits and have lived in St. Helens for one year prior to the election.
Council members also have custodial responsibility for all city property including buildings, equipment, and land. City Council direct the financing, maintenance, and operation of all City departments and also represent the City on several outside committees involving topics such as economic development and others.
Supporting Documents
City Organizational Chart (138 KB) Council Governing Policy (80 KB) Council Operating Rules & Procedures (147 KB) Council Goals 2019 (399 KB) Code of Ethics (663 KB) 
