VI.

Government

The city is governed by a municipal council, with a mayor and 21 councillors, who are elected by popular vote for four-year terms. The councillors represent specific wards of the city. A regional government, the Québec Urban Community (QUC), includes 13 municipalities on the north shore of the St. Lawrence and 12 on the south. It represents about 17 percent of the metropolitan area (544.8 sq km/210.3 sq mi) and 76 percent of its population (511,805 out of 671,889). The QUC is led by a council made up of the mayors of the constituent communities, who elect a council president from among themselves. Presidents serve two-year terms, and the office rotates between the mayors of small, medium, and core municipalities. The QUC is responsible for zoning, regional development, property valuation, waste disposal, and tourism promotion. City planning and public transit are handled in collaboration with the municipalities. Other municipal functions such as public works, libraries, water, parks, fire and police services, street repair, and traffic control are left to the municipalities.