Municipality
is a general purpose government for the coordination and delivery
of basic, regular and direct services within its jurisdiction.
It is created by an Act of Congress approved by the majority of
the votes cast in a plebiscite. A municipality is created out
of a territory containing at least 10,000 inhabitants and an average
annual income of at least 200,000 pesos for the previous three
consecutive years. The officials of a municipality are the mayor,
vice mayor, and councillors who are members of the municpal board.
The mayor
is the chief executive of the municipality who controls and supervises
all administrative affairs in the area. He appoints officers and
employees of the municipal government. Aside from that, he grants
permits and licenses to businesses within its territory, prepares
the municipal budget, enforces laws, municipal ordinances and
resolutions and ensures the collection of all municipal revenues
and taxes. Furthermore, he represents the municipality. The Vice
mayor assists the Mayor in the performance of his duties and acts
as an ex-officio member of the Municipal Board.
The municipal
board is composed of 8 elected members with representatives from
the agricultural and industrial labor sectors; and is presided
over by the mayor. The municipal board passes ordinances for the
municipality regulating use of property, levies taxes and fees,
establishes and maintains the public market, cemeteries, slaughterhouses
and the waterworks system. It likewise fixes the salaries of municipal
officials and employees.
An affirmative
vote by the majority of the municipal board can pass an ordinance
which must be approved and signed by the mayor within 10 days,
otherwise, it is deemed approved. It is then forwarded to the
provincial board which has 30 days to act on it either by approving
it or declaring it invalid in whole or in part. Without such action
the ordinance is deemed approved.
