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One of the two representative units of the community is the city council. It's function
is primarily to provide a "voice of the people" - a body on which the various interest
groups are proportionately represented. These men are to set down the laws of the community
and provide a limitation, a check, to the administrative power of the mayor. In a city the
size of Beutelsbach (3000-5000 residents) the council consists of 12 men, each elected
for a six-year term, but with half the council up for reelection every three years
(staggered much as in the U.S. Senate). The method of vote tally is such that the seats are
apportioned according to the popular vote of each group. In Beutelsbach these are
two "parties" (completely unrelated to national political parties) - the [gap]
the non-Bauer party; each puts up a slate [gap]
In the present
council there are five Weingartner and seven Others, inlcuding two
Vertriebener. A slightly more detailed description of the men adds other dimensions
to the picture of representation. Of the seven non-Weingartner, two work in Stuttgart
offices, one is a painter for a Stuttgart firm, one a baker, one a carpenter, one a stone-
masonry foreman, one a teacher. Of the five Weingartner council men
at least two have attained more than average stature. One is said to own a "big new house
on the edge of town"; the second is not a Weingartner in Beutelsbach [gap]
is manager of the Weinbergs owned by the city of Stuttgart, is a proponent of scientific
farming methods, and is a director in at least one local business enterprise.
The ages of council members range from 38 to about 60; there are two men
named Weber and two named Dippon. From this information we may infer that more subtle
class differences are represented than merely Bauer vs. non-Bauer; there are hand
workers, shop keeps, Stuttgart white collar workers, etc. These also leading citizens, notably
successful, members of old families and Vertiebene. Thus the council seems to be potentially a very
effective popular voice.

But the Gemeinderat meets only once a month, and then follows an agenda prepared
by the mayor, hears his well-prepared opinions on the matters, and usually follows his
lead. Hence, the mayor is the key policy making figure in the government, and presumably
does more to influence the character of government action than the
council. But he views his own role as that of compromising the several interest groups,
of giving each it's turn at the "spoils" of public works projects. His own plans then
must always be created in the context of council approved and thus must always
satisfy the groups represented there.

In describing the activities undertaken by the city administration it would
be simplest and most enlightening to begin with an approximate city
budget for income and expenditures:

Income
taxes on houses - - - - - 40,000 DM
plots of land - - - - - 30,000
shops and industry - - - - - 150,000
entertainment - - - - - 7,000
charge for water and sewer service - - - - - 35,000
fees for new roads, water lines, buildings, etc - - - - - 30,000 - 40,000
money received from state as return on taxes paid - - - - - 130,000