They also have something in common with Ruston's elected officials. Mayor Dan Hollingsworth and aldermen violated a city ordinance Monday when they failed to meet. But unlike some violations, this one is unlikely to draw a warning from city hall or summons to city court. In theory, municipal ordinances are as binding as legislative statutes and congressional acts. The local, state and federal bodies make a distinction between actions approved by law and those approved by resolution.
Resolutions are votes that express lawmakers' intent.
Some are recorded in a book of resolutions, while others are simply recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Resolutions do not carry the weight of law. At city hall ordinances follow a more drawn-out path to adoption. The mayor lists the proposal on the agenda of a meeting, a council member introduces it, and legal notices announce a public hearing. After the hearing is closed, councilmen discuss and vote on the proposal.