The City of Decatur operates under the Council-Manager form of government, a system which combines the leadership of a representative, elected council with the professional background of an appointed manager. In this system the Mayor and Council hold the ultimate decision-making power and are responsible for hiring a professionally trained manager to direct the city’s day-to-day operations.

The Decatur City Council is made up of an elected team of six city council members and a mayor and is charged with setting the vision and direction for the City of Decatur. The Council serves as the city’s legislative body, establishing policy, approving budgets, determining the annual tax levy and implementing the rules which guide daily life in our community. The Mayor and Council also focus on major projects and long-term considerations such as community growth, land use development, capital improvement plans, capital financing and strategic planning and supervise the manager’s performance.

The mayor of Decatur is the presiding officer at all City Council meetings and chief ambassador for the city, representing the community on local, state and national levels.

The City Council meets in regular session at 5:30 p.m. on the first, third, and sometimes fifth Monday of the month. Meetings are held in the City Council Chambers, on the third floor of the Civic Center, One Gary K. Anderson Plaza, Decatur, Illinois. All City Council meetings are open to the public, except portions of meetings in which legal, land acquisition or personnel matters are discussed and are televised via ACCESSDecatur, cable television channel 18.