What is a council?
Generally, a council is a local authority elected by the people who live in a particular area. In the United States, for instance, most cities have councils that are elected every few years to manage local affairs. This can be things like garbage collection, schools and law enforcement.
Unlike state or federal legislatures, councils are far more limited in the powers they have and some who serve on them do so voluntarily.
Though it can vary from city to city, most councils are presided over by a mayor. It's the job of councilors to scrutinize the mayor’s work as well as debate and pass local ordinances.