The council consists of 15 members: the chief elected official, titled the mayor, and 14 councillors.
There are also a number of civic committees, boards, and authorities that help to create policies in specialized areas, such as parking, the preservation of heritage sites and buildings, and planning and development matters.
The city had an operating budget of $2.1 billion for 2007, supported 41% by property taxes.
The average Calgary household pays approximately $2,100 per year in city tax.
In 2013, the term for mayor was amended in the Local Authorities Election Act to 4 years.
Their names are listed in past City Handbooks but have since been removed from newer editions.
From 1914 to 1960, aldermen were elected from across the city for two-year terms, dismantling the ward system.
From 1917 to 1971, councillors were elected using single transferable votes to achieve a degree of proportionality/ fairness.
On December 14, 2010, council voted to change the title to councillor, which took effect in the October 2013 election.
[8] In 2012 the Local Authorities Election Act was amended to increase the term length to 4 years.