Taipei City Council Introduction
In the early period of Taiwan's recovery, to establish a foundation for local autonomy, the Taiwan Provincial Administrative Executive Office announced the "Implementation Plan for the Establishment of Various Levels of Public Opinion Agencies in Taiwan" on December 26, 1945. Based on the "Organizational Regulations for City Councils" and the "Senatorial Election Regulations" published by the National Government, the Taipei City Council was established on April 15, 1946. Although the council was a public opinion agency, it was merely advisory in nature at that time. After the National Government moved to Taiwan on December 7, 1949, the local autonomy system did not operate according to the constitutional system. On April 24, 1950, the "Guidelines for Implementing Local Autonomy in Various Counties and Cities in Taiwan" were issued, serving as the basis for promoting local autonomy in Taiwan, after which the council entered the provincial city council period. On July 1, 1967, Taipei City was upgraded from a provincial city to a directly governed city. Until the establishment of the first directly governed city council on December 25, 1969, it was a transitional period during which the Taipei Temporary City Council exercised its functions. However, the legal system regarding the autonomy of directly governed cities was not yet complete, and was still based on the administrative order — the "Guidelines for the Organization and Implementation of Local Autonomy in Taipei City" issued by the Executive Yuan on June 22, 1967. After the "Local Government Act" was promulgated on July 29, 1994, the Taipei City Council received legal protection for its legislative powers, financial supervision rights, and administrative oversight powers in local autonomy, truly implementing the provisions of Article 118 of the Constitution, which states that "the autonomy of directly governed cities shall be defined by law." In response to the trend of decentralization between the central and local governments, the "Local Government Act," which took effect on January 25, 1999, integrated the regulations for the autonomy of directly governed cities and provincial counties (cities), opening a new chapter in the history of local autonomy development in Taiwan. The Taipei City Council, as a local legislative body, represents the citizens in supervising municipal affairs, with councilors from various districts exercising legislative authority to reflect a diverse society. Through the processes of proposals, discussions, debates, and negotiations, adhering to the democratic principle of "obeying the majority and respecting the minority," diverse public opinions can become policies and laws that citizens collectively abide by, safeguarding the rights and interests of the residents in the region. In recent years, the council has devoted itself to reflecting public opinion, supervising municipal affairs, ensuring harmonious government-council relations, party negotiations, and city exchanges, while also striving to enhance the transparency of council proceedings and promote e-governance. Through legislative supervision, it aims to urge the city government to promote benefits, eliminate disadvantages, enhance citizens' welfare, and improve their quality of life, fulfilling the responsibilities of a local legislative body. (Source: Taipei City Council)
