They can wrongly suggest to councillors that the council is a governing body independent of the pastor. I stand corrected. What we ordinarily call constitution and bylaws are really the agreements that underlie a pastoral council. They signify the relationship of trust that is meant to exist between the council and that pastor who consults it. But they do not take the place of that trust.
Pastoral councils possess a consultative vote only.
Constitutions, bylaws, and foundation documents do not legally bind the pastor to accept the council's advice. Mary and Thom gave me sound advice. It describes the kind of council I would like to see. My document differs from other constitutions and by-laws in two important ways. First, it is solidly rooted in the Church's law, and assigns no more to the pastoral council than what the law allows.