Mandates

The City Charter mandates that each Community Board: Consider the needs of the Community District which it serves, cooperate with, consult, assist, and advise elected government officials about any matter that "relates to the welfare of the District and its residents."

Community Boards participate in:

• Service Delivery
• The City Budget process
• Land Use planning
• Long-Range planning
• Community Advocacy

The Community Board is the official, non-partisan municipal body whose primary mission is to advise elected officials and government agencies on matters affecting the social welfare of the district. They interface with the many offices and agencies of City government.

Community boards have a variety of responsibilities, including but not limited to:

Dealing with land use and zoning issues. CBs have an important advisory role and must be consulted on the placement of most municipal facilities in the community. Applications for a change in or variance from the zoning resolution must come before the board for review, and the board's position is considered in the final determination.

Assessing the needs of their own neighborhoods. CBs assess the needs of their community members and meet with City agencies to make recommendations in the City's budget process.

Addressing other community concerns. Any issue that affects part or all of a community, from a traffic problem to deteriorating housing, is a proper concern of community boards.

It is important to note that while community boards serve as advocates for their neighborhood, they do not have the ability to order any City agency or official to perform any task. Despite this limitation, boards are usually successful in resolving the problems they address.