THE ROLE OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES
The
Lake Havasu City Code allows the City Council to create boards, commissions, and
committees to advise the City Council and/or carry out specific duties, which are administered
by City staff. The responsibilities and duties of each board, commission, and committee are set
forth by the City Council and/or the Arizona Revised Statutes.
Membership and selection of board, commission, and committee appointees are governed by the
City Council unless otherwise mandated by state law. Terms of members generally range from
two to three years unless otherwise specified, but members may be removed by majority vote of
the City Council at any time. Some boards, commissions, and committees also require the
appointment of alternate members to serve in the absence of a regular member.
As mentioned above, some boards, commissions, and committees operate under state law and
have decision making authority, while others are advisory in nature. The City Council has the
discretion to accept, reject, or modify the recommendations it receives from its advisory boards,
commissions, and committees. The City Council must weigh and consider all information
received on any particular issue and make decisions that are in the best interest of the City. If a
recommendation is rejected or modified, rest assured it is not a reflection of the importance of
your role as a board, commission, or committee member.
All board, commission, and committee members must disclose conflicts of interest in accordance
with state law. A conflict occurs when a public officer (this term includes board, commission
and committee members) or employee personally has or whose relative has a substantial interest
in any contract, sale, purchase or service to the City, or any decision of the City. Conflicts of
interest must be declared and recorded in the official City records maintained by the City Clerk.
Members must also refrain from voting on or otherwise participating in any manner in any
contract, sale, purchase, service, or decision of the City relating to the conflicting interest. For
more information on conflict of interest law, contact the Lake Havasu City Attorney’s office.
City staff members assigned to assist boards, commissions, and committees also have a
responsibility to their supervisor and to Lake Havasu City. City staff will provide information
and materials to assist board, commission, and committee members with their duties and
responsibilities, and will offer suggestions to help accomplish board, commission, and
committee goals and objectives. Staff also has an obligation to present balanced information on
issues so that both the positive and negative aspects can be readily identified.
If you have specific questions on boards, commissions, or committees that you may be interested
in, please contact the City Clerk’s office for assistance.