Page "Local government" Paragraph 87

Law 7 / 1985, passed by the former Spanish President Felipe González Márquez ( socialist ), lays down the procedure of the Local Government.

Every city in Spain used this Law until 2003.

This year, the former Spanish President José María Aznar López ( conservative ), passed a Law ( 57 / 2003 ) to modernize organic rules of those cities which had more than 250, 000 inhabitants, and other important cities ( like capital cities of provinces with at least 175, 000 inhabitants ).

Also, it exists two other important Laws for specifically Madrid ( Law 22 / 2006 ) and Barcelona ( Law 1 / 2006 ).

The main governing body in every city is called the Plenary ( el Pleno ).

The number of members that compose The Plenary varies depending on city's population ( for example, since 2007 Valencia has 33 members and Pamplona has 27 ).

The name given to the members of the Plenary is councelor ( concejal ).

Those councelors are elected between city's inhabitants every four years by direct vote.

After being elected, councelors meet in a special Plenary session to determine who will be elected, between them, as city's Mayor.

In the next days after the election, the mayor chooses some councelors to set up the executive governing body ( Junta de Gobierno ).

After that, and for the next four years, city's mayor and the Junta de Gobierno will govern over the city according to their competences ( urbanism, some taxes, local police, licenses for specific activities, cleaning services, etc .).

Meanwhile, councelors in the Plenary but not part of the Junta de Gobierno ( the opposition ) will oversee Mayor's rule.