# 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.
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 |
| Manuela Pinto Vieira d'Ávila | PCdoB | Education, Culture and Youth Affairs |
| Raul Kroeff Machado Carrion | PCdoB | Consumer and Human Rights |
| Nereu D'Ávila | PDT | Constitution and Justice |
| Ervino Besson | PDT | Consumer and Human Rights |
| Neusa Celine Canabarro Elizeire | PDT | Health and Environment |
| Mário Pinto de Fraga | PDT | Constitution and Justice |
| Humberto Ciulla Goulart | PDT | Speaker of the Council |
| João Bosco Granado Vaz | PDT | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |
| José Ismael Heinen | DEM | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |
| Maristela Meneghetti | DEM | Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur |
| Valdir Caetano da Silva | PL | Constitution and Justice |
| Sebastião de Araújo Melo | PMDB | Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs |
| Ibsen Valls Pinheiro | PMDB | Constitution and Justice |
| Haroldo Joaquim de Souza | PMDB | Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs |
| Bernardino Vendrusculo | PMDB | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |
| João Antônio Dib | PP | Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur |
| Mônica Leal Markusons | PP | Health and Environment |
| João Carlos Cavalheiro Nedel | PP | Health and Environment |
| Carlos Alberto Oliveira Garcia | PPS | Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur |
| Clênia Leal Maranhão | PPS | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |
| Paulo Odone Ribeiro | PPS | Constitution and Justice |
| Elias Nunes Vidal | PPS | Health and Environment |
| Maristela Maffei | PSB | Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs |
| Antônio Luiz Braz | PSDB | Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur |
| Cláudio José de Souza Sebenelo | PSDB | Health and Environment |
| Almerindo da Rosa | PSL | Constitution and Justice |
| Carlos Roberto Comassetto | PT | Constitution and Justice |
| Margarete Costa Moraes | PT | Consumer and Human Rights |
| Sofia Cavedon Nunes | PT | Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs |
| Aldacir José Oliboni | PT | Health and Environment |
| Maria Celeste de Souza da Silva | PT | Consumer and Human Rights |
| Adeli Sell | PT | Economy, Treasure, Budget, and Mercosur |
| Carlos Atílio Todeschini | PT | Consumer and Human Rights |
| Jorge Antônio Dornelles Carpes | PTB | Committee on Consumer and Human Rights |
| Elói Francisco Pedroso Guimarães | PTB | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |
| Alceu de Oliveira da Rosa | PTB | Urbanization, Transportation, and Housing |

## 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 |