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San Leandro Council Member Handbook | 20212022 28 | Page To understand your government’s mission is to become familiar with its policies. Review the budget, the capital improvement plan, the comprehensive or master plan, administrative procedures and practices, and the charter. As issues come up, take another look at existing policies to see if they support the mission of the organization. Keep in mind that policymaking can be passive as well as active. Policy ideas come from many sources, but the final determination of how policies (and through policies the mission of your organization) evolve during your term of office rests with you, the elected governing official. Wherever the ideas come from, it is the Council’s responsibility to look at the merits of each idea and then approve, modify, or reject it. (Chapter 1, Book 1, ICMA Elected Officials Handbook) POLICYMAKING In elementary terms, policymaking means deciding what you are going to do - not how you are going to do it. An example may help illustrate the difference. Deciding that your community is going to emphasize the provision of low-income housing is a basic policy decision. Making that decision means that you will be spending money on housing programs, that you intend to make this subject a priority, and that, in all likelihood, some other programs will have to wait their turn. Note that making the policy decision says nothing about how you will provide low-income housing. That question comes later and may require advice from your staff or other knowledgeable individuals. Your staff may suggest several alternatives for providing low-income housing. You might be able to use federal programs, state financing, or public-private partnerships. You will have to make other policy decisions, choosing which of these alternatives you wish to use. Once you have made these secondary policy decisions, your staff can deal with how to carry out your policy. Policies are formulated for the broad issues that affect your community. These may include everything from providing jobs to paving streets to making sure that children have enough playgrounds. As a policymaker, sometimes you will judge and sometimes you will advocate; you need to hear opposing views, consider the arguments, and think about the concerns of the constituency you serve. Two major activities will help you shape policy systematically: setting goals and formulating the budget. The four phases of the policy-making cycle are: 1. Identify and analyze community needs. What do your constituents want? What program changes were the basis of your campaign? What long-standing problems require attention? What do staff studies of social and economic trends tell you about the future? 2. Analyze program and service alternatives and resources. How do you gather the resources you will need to accomplish the goals you have in mind? 3. Choose and implement programs. How do you gain the consensus of your colleagues on the Council--or their cooperation in selecting programs and services? What details do you provide to staff, and what do you leave to their discretion?