English translation
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Representatives of City Council number 23 and they are elected for four years at a time. Another 23 deputy city councilors are also elected. The current city councilors were elected to City Council in local elections held on the May 14, 2022.
The 23 city councilors are all members of City Council, which is the highest decision-making authority of the City of Reykjavík. City councilors and deputy city councilors are subsequently elected to various councils and committees in the administration, such as the City Executive Council, sectorial councils, residents’ councils, and boards of directors of Reykjavík owned companies and associations.
City councilors are obliged to participate in all City Council meetings and committee and council meetings to which they have been elected unless they valid reasons for an excused absence. Excused absences include illness, urgent, unforeseen, and unavoidable circumstances, and other urgent duties. Each city councilor is required to perform any duties delegated by City Council that concern the activities of Reykjavík City. City councilors shall exercise discretion of what they become aware of in the course of their duties that is confidential in nature as required by law or by the nature of the case. The obligation of professional secrecy remains even in the event of resignation.
City councilors are independent in their work. They are bound only by law and their own conviction of their position on individual cases.
City councilors are entitled to include any matter in the agenda of City Council meetings that specifically concern the interests of the City of Reykjavík or its activities. However, an issue that is not specified in the posted agenda of the City Council meeting will not be considered at the relevant meeting without the consent of ⅔ of the members present at the meeting. City councilors enjoy freedom of speech at City Council meetings, as is explained in more detail in the City Council's rules of procedure. They have the right to make proposals and to vote at meetings of the City Council.
City councilors are required to comply with the codes of conduct established by City Council. The present Code of Conduct was adopted by City Council on June 18, 2019:
City Council adopted new rules for the registration of financial interests of city councilors and fiduciary duties outside the City Council on March 3, 2020. Registration under the new rules is optional and will be released on October 1, 2020 for those who choose to provide the information.
Local government elections take place every four years in Iceland. The newly elected City Council takes office 15 days after election day and the outgoing City Council retires at the same time. Councils and committees are elected at the first meeting of City Council. The current term expires in May of 2026.
The remuneration of elected representatives at the City of Reykjavík is governed by the provisions of the Resolution on the Remuneration and Working Facilities of Elected Representatives (IS).