Municipal Chamber of Porto Alegre

The Porto Alegre City Council is the Legislative branch of Porto Alegre. It is composed of 36 councilors who are elected by an open list election. The Council serves as a balance of power against the mayor, as Porto Alegre has a strong mayor-council type of government. Porto Alegre City Council oversees all Executive agencies, departments, and audits municipal public accounts. It has sole authority to decide if Mayor or Deputy Mayor may leave Porto Alegre for a period longer than five days. The Council also approves the Budget Bill. There is no term limit.

Municipal Chamber of Porto Alegre Câmara Municipal de Porto Alegre
18th Legislature
Coat of arms of Porto Alegre
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	None
History
Founded	September 6, 1773 (1773-09-06)
Leadership
President	Hamilton Sossmeier, PRD since January 2, 2023
Government Leader	Idenir Cecchim, MDB
Opposition Leader	Roberto Robaina, PSOL
Structure
Seats	36
Political groups	Government (22)   PSDB (4)   MDB (3)   PRD (3)   PP (3)   PL (2)   Republicanos (2)   Cidadania (1)   PSD (1)   PSB (1)   Solidariedade (1)   UNIÃO (1) Non-aligned (4)   PDT (2)   NOVO (2) Opposition (10)   PT (4)   PSOL (4)   PCdoB (2)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Open list proportional representation
Last election	November 15, 2020
Next election	October 6, 2024
Meeting place
Aloísio Filho Palace
Website
www.camarapoa.rs.gov.br

Current Speaker of the Council is Humberto Goulart (PDT). There also are following offices: First Deputy Speaker, Luiz Braz (PSDB); Second Deputy Speaker, Margarete Moraes (PT); First Secretary of the Council, Haroldo de Souza (PMDB); Second Secretary, Elias Nunes Vidal (PPS); and Third Secretary, Valdir Caetano da Silva (PL). Current Majority Leader is Clênia Maranhão, PPS.

There are six committees overseeing several subjects of the city. Committee membership is defined by party breakdown. Members of committees are assigned by party leaders. Committees generally meet in the morning, as afternoons are reserved to floor sessions.

History

The very first City Council meeting was on September 6, 1773, when members of the Viamão Council met in the Vila de Nossa Senhora da Madre de Deus de Porto Alegre, former name of Porto Alegre, ordered by then-governor José Marcelino de Figueiredo. Members of the first Porto Alegre City Council were Domingos Moreira (Speaker), Manoel Velloso Tavares, Domingos Gomes Ribeiro, José Alves Velludo, and Ventura Pereira Maciel. In the early years, the City Council had both judicial and legislative powers.

In 1828, there had been a major change the way City Council was set up. Porto Alegre had 10,000 inhabitants, and 400 voters, who elected the new nine-member City Council. Under the rule of the Empire of Brazil, there was no mayor-like office, and activities of City Council were scrutinized by the Provincial Assembly. At that time, City Council had attributions that today are mayor's ones, like public works, police services, and tax collection. In 1864, it had begun the building of the first Council Hall in an open lot between Rua da Ponte (currently Riachuelo Street) and Pedro II Square (currently Marshall Deodoro Square). This building was destroyed by fire on November 19, 1949 and the lot is now the seat of Rio Grande do Sul Court of Justice. 1873 was the year of the centennial and the members of Council were João Carlos Augusto Bordini, Joaquim Francisco Dutra Júnior, João Rodrigues Fagundes, Antônio Manuel Fernandes, Luís da Silva Flores Filho, João Pinto da Fonseca Guimarães, José Martins de Lima, Manuel Soares Lisboa and, Firmínio Martins de Oliveira Prates.

By the deposition of monarchy, there were 8 councilmen: João Antunes da Cunha Neto (speaker), Felicíssimo Manoel de Azevedo, Bibiano Dias de Castro, João da Mata Coelho, José Domingos da Costa, Antônio da Azevedo Lima, Guilherme Shell and, Rafael Gonçalves Ventura. After enactment of the Brazilian Constitution of 1891, City Council was responsible of auditing municipal public accounts, analyzing budget bills and, tax-related matters. At this time, there had been no opposition within City Council, as the PRP dominated state's political scene. The first oppositionist ever elected was a member of defunct Federalist Party in 1916. When Getúlio Vargas took over the rule in 1930, all city councils in Brazil were closed. Only in 1934, the city councils were re-opened. During this time, City Council was made up of 11 councilmen with annual sessions no longer than two months. This structure lasted until 1937, when that City Council was replaced by a Technical Administration Council.

In 1947, a new State Constitution was signed into law and City Council was authorized to have 21 members; these members now started out receiving monthly income paid up by city treasury, this led to increase of middle class representation. Between 1947 and 1949, Council sessions are hosted in today's City Hall. In 1949, City Council moved into José Mountary Building. When the military staged a coup in 1964, multi-party system was abolished, being replaced by a two-party system.

In 1988, a new Brazilian Constitution was enacted, granting powers to cities but, creating a rigid form of government for cities; in this constitution cities are federative units, unlike former constitutions that granted states full rights to legislate over municipal forms of government.

Membership to City Council

As of October 7, 2006, these are the members of Porto Alegre City Council. Councilmen are sorted out by party, then by last name.

Councilperson	Party	Committee membership	Official website
Manuela Pinto Vieira d'Ávila	PCdoB	Education, Culture and Youth Affairs	[1]
Raul Kroeff Machado Carrion	PCdoB	Consumer and Human Rights	[2]
Nereu D'Ávila	PDT	Constitution and Justice	[3]
Ervino Besson	PDT	Consumer and Human Rights	[4]
Neusa Celine Canabarro Elizeire	PDT	Health and Environment	[5]
Mário Pinto de Fraga	PDT	Constitution and Justice	[6]
Humberto Ciulla Goulart	PDT	Speaker of the Council	[7]
João Bosco Granado Vaz	PDT	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[8]
José Ismael Heinen	DEM	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[9]
Maristela Meneghetti	DEM	Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur	[10]
Valdir Caetano da Silva	PL	Constitution and Justice	[11]
Sebastião de Araújo Melo	PMDB	Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs	[12]
Ibsen Valls Pinheiro	PMDB	Constitution and Justice	[13]
Haroldo Joaquim de Souza	PMDB	Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs	[14]
Bernardino Vendrusculo	PMDB	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[15]
João Antônio Dib	PP	Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur	[16]
Mônica Leal Markusons	PP	Health and Environment	[17]
João Carlos Cavalheiro Nedel	PP	Health and Environment	[18]
Carlos Alberto Oliveira Garcia	PPS	Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur	[19]
Clênia Leal Maranhão	PPS	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[20]
Paulo Odone Ribeiro	PPS	Constitution and Justice	[21]
Elias Nunes Vidal	PPS	Health and Environment	[22]
Maristela Maffei	PSB	Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs	[23]
Antônio Luiz Braz	PSDB	Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur	[24]
Cláudio José de Souza Sebenelo	PSDB	Health and Environment	[25]
Almerindo da Rosa	PSL	Constitution and Justice	[26]
Carlos Roberto Comassetto	PT	Constitution and Justice	[27]
Margarete Costa Moraes	PT	Consumer and Human Rights	[28]
Sofia Cavedon Nunes	PT	Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs	[29]
Aldacir José Oliboni	PT	Health and Environment	[30]
Maria Celeste de Souza da Silva	PT	Consumer and Human Rights	[31]
Adeli Sell	PT	Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur	[32]
Carlos Atílio Todeschini	PT	Consumer and Human Rights	[33]
Jorge Antônio Dornelles Carpes	PTB	Committee on Consumer and Human Rights	[34]
Elói Francisco Pedroso Guimarães	PTB	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[35]
Alceu de Oliveira da Rosa	PTB	Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing	[36]

Committees of City Council

There are six committees with jurisdiction all over municipal affairs. Committee's works are regulated by the Porto Alegre City Charter (Chapter V, Section III) and the Porto Alegre City Council Rules of Procedure (Title II, Chapter II).

Committee on Constitution and Justice

Committee on Constitution and Justice (CCJ) oversees legal status before the City Charter of every bill in the Council. This committee drafts final versions of every bill in the Council before being voted in the floor. CCJ has an appellate jurisdiction on decisions of the Speaker and its deputies. Ibsen Valls Pinheiro (PMDB) is the Committee Chairman and Paulo Odone Ribeiro (PPS) is the Deputy Committee Chairman. Membership to CCJ:

Councilperson	Party
Nereu D'Ávila	PDT
Carlos Roberto Comassetto	PT
Mário Pinto de Fraga	PDT
Almerindo da Rosa	PSL
Valdir Caetano da Silva	PL

Committee on Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur

Committee on Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur (CEFOR) oversees tax, economy and, budget affairs. CEFOR has sole authority to oversee public spendings as defined by budget bill. CEFOR drafts final versions of Budget, appropriation bills. Maristela Meneghetti (DEM) is the Committee Chairwoman and Adeli Sell (PT) is the Deputy Committee Chairman. Membership to CEFOR:

Councilperson	Party
Antônio Luiz Braz	PSDB
Carlos Alberto Oliveira Garcia	PSB
João Antônio Dib	PP

Committee on Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing

Committee on Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing (CUTHAB) has jurisdiction on street, places naming, public works, municipal assets allocation, public transportation and, related affairs. Elói Francisco Pedroso Guimarães (PTB) is the Committee Chairman and Clênia Leal Maranhão (PPS) is the Deputy Committee Chairwoman. Membership to CUTHAB:

Councilperson	Party
José Ismael Heinen	DEM
Alceu de Oliveira da Rosa	PTB
João Bosco Granado Vaz	PDT
Bernardino Vendrusculo	PMDB

Committee on Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs

Committee on Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs (CECE) has jurisdiction on educational affairs, sport facilities and, youth-related initiatives. Manuela Pinto Vieira d'Ávila (PCdoB) is the Committee Chairwoman and Maristela Maffei (PSB) is the Deputy Committee Chairwoman. Membership to CECE:

Councilperson	Party
Sebastião de Araújo Melo	PMDB
Sofia Cavedon Nunes	PT
Haroldo Joaquim de Souza	PMDB

Committee on Consumer and Human Rights

Committee on Consumer and Human Rights (CEDECONDH) oversees consumer relations, human rights violation and, public safety. Carlos Atílio Todeschini (PT) is the Council Chairman and Jorge Antônio Dornelles Carpes (PTB) is the Deputy Committee Chairman. Membership to CEDECONDH:

Councilperson	Party
Ervino Besson	PDT
Raul Kroeff Machado Carrion	PCdoB
Margarete Costa Moraes	PT
Maria Celeste de Souza da Silva	PT

Committee on Health and Environment

Committee on Health and Environment (COSMAN) has jurisdiction on public-funded healthcare, sanitary inspection, sewage services and, environmental protection. João Carlos Cavalheiro Nedel (PP) is the Committee Chairman and Cláudio José de Souza Sebenelo is the Deputy Committee Chairman. Membership to COSMAN:

Councilperson	Party
Neusa Celine Canabarro Elizeire	PDT
Mônica Leal Markusons	PP
Aldacir José Oliboni	PT
Elias Nunes Vidal	PPS

See also

• Government of Porto Alegre
• Mayor of Porto Alegre

References

1. "A Câmara conta sua história." Câmara Municipal de Porto Alegre. 7 Oct. 2006 <http://www2.camarapoa.rs.gov.br/default.php?p_secao=118 Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine>.

External links

1. Porto Alegre City Council (in Portuguese)