city council / councilor
Loading your saved state.
city council
The elected assembly of representatives responsible for political decisions and administration in a city; the municipal parliament.
Der Stadtrat hat den Bau des neuen Schwimmbads beschlossen.
The city council approved the construction of the new swimming pool.
The word is made up of 'Stadt' (city) and 'Rat' (council/advice). Here, 'Rat' does not only mean 'advice', but also 'assembly of advisors' or 'committee'. So the 'Stadtrat' is literally the advisory body of a city.
Der Stadtrat kommt einmal im Monat zusammen.
The city council meets once a month.
You can distinguish the meaning 'body/committee' (m01) from 'person' (m02) through context. The body is a unit and usually appears in the singular. When referring to people, the plural 'die Stadträte' (the city councilors) or a named person is often used.
Der Stadtrat hat den neuen Haushalt verabschiedet.
The city council passed the new budget.
When 'Stadtrat' refers to the governing body, it is often combined with verbs that describe a decision or a process. Typical examples are: 'der Stadtrat tagt' (the city council meets), 'beschließt' (passes/decides), 'lehnt ab' (rejects), or 'debattiert' (debates).
Der Stadtrat tagt heute im großen Sitzungssaal des Rathauses.
The city council is meeting today in the large meeting room of city hall.
city
'die Stadt' and 'der Stadtrat' can both have to do with politics and administration in a city, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Die Stadt' can generally refer to the administration or government of a city. 'Der Stadtrat' is more precise: it is either the elected assembly that decides on important issues, or an individual member of that assembly. Learners may confuse the words because in sentences like 'Die Stadt entscheidet' (The city decides), what is often meant is an authority or a political body. When referring to the elected city council or an elected person, 'Stadtrat' is correct.
Am Dienstag stimmt der Stadtrat über den neuen Park ab.
On Tuesday, the city council will vote on the new park.
Die Stadt plant einen neuen Radweg am Bahnhof.
The city is planning a new bike path by the station.