Role of Government

Roles of Government

The City of Saratoga Springs is a city of the 4th class as defined by the Utah Code. There are six elected officials that make up the governing body: a mayor and five council members. The governing body holds all authority to adopt ordinances, pass resolutions, adopt annual budgets, regulate zoning and land development, establish City fees, create long-range plans for City services and utilities and oversee the provision of numerous other City services.

Council

The form of government adopted by Saratoga Springs is the “six-member Council” form of government augmented by appointing a “manager by ordinance.” This means that the City Council has delegated the operational and day-to-day responsibilities of managing the City, its employees and services to a professional full-time City Manager. The City Manager oversees all City departments and reports directly to the Mayor and City Council.

The City Council conducts meetings every 1st and 3rd Tuesday evening. The Council conducts work meetings beginning at 5:45 p.m. (unless otherwise posted) with policy meetings following beginning at 7 p.m. (unless otherwise posted).

Policy Meetings

In policy meetings the Council conducts business by making motions, passing ordinances and resolutions and otherwise taking official action by vote of the Council members on City matters. Citizens may also address the City Council directly at the beginning of each policy meeting.

Work Meetings

Work meetings are generally used to study issues, receive reports and data on assignments and special projects, informally review staff and development proposals, discuss City services, evaluate existing and proposed City programs and carry out other study-session related work not generally requiring official action by the Council. The Council does not use the special work meeting to receive public input and comment though all meetings of the governing body are public under Utah law.

Community Participation

Citizens may have access to the City Council in several ways, you may use the website to submit emails to the Council members by clicking on the Mayor and Council link to the left. You may also attend City Council policy meetings as described above. Interested citizens may provide written information to the Council at any time by submitting such information to the City offices Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Council members have individual email addresses and you may have access to those addresses by going to their individual pages on this website.

City Council members are elected for terms of four years and terms are staggered so that only three elected officials’ terms expire at the same time. Municipal elections occur in odd years (2011, 2013, 2015 etc.) and are held during general elections on the first Tuesday in November.