Council of Mayors
A constant thorn in the side of Kathe Adjanni's government, the Council of Mayors voices the concerns of local governments and prevents any loss of power to Valeria. A variety of cooperative inter-city bodies have existed since the early days of the league - in fact the league itself was once thought to be just such a body - but the current Council was only born in TN 1903. Even then, it existed merely as a forum for articulating shared concerns and planning economic cooperation, supposedly free of the byzantine machinations that were sweeping Valeria at the time. Ultimately, the Judas Syndrome would not spare the council, and several mayors were brought down in scandals between TN 1908 and 1912. The Council returned to the fore, however, after the War of the Alliance of the Alliance. At first, it contented itself with helping to coordinate reconstruction and relief efforts, but the policies of the Von Breslau government soon made it a political forum. Anders Von Breslau pursued a policy of tight cooperation on hemispheric and global scales, and proceeded to limit the jurisdiction of municipal governments. The Council of Mayors became an avenue for protest and opened up a political lobbying ofice in Valeria to exert pressure on the Norlight and CNCS governments. The Council was one of the important groups which toppled the Von Breslau government, and gave Kathe Adjanni her position.
The council is not pleased with President Adjanni. The current government campaigned against the integration policies of Von Breslau, but has not taken any steps to devolve powers toward the city-states. Adjanni has managed to keep her power strong, intervening in key areas that the city-states claim are within their own jurisdiction, including law enforcement and social programs. As Terra Nova lurches towards war, the President has also initiated several league-spanning economic policies. In theory, almost all the mayors and regional representatives sitting on the Council are opposed to these policies, but local and philosophical differences have kept the Council from being as effective as when it opposed Von Breslau. The renaissance of faith spearheaded by Second Follower Hutchison has split the Council, with some mayors criticizing the church's support of league-wide social programs and legal reforms. Others firmly back the agenda.
The crime on the Badlands' frontier has led some mayors to support the increased profile of the Norlight National Police, while others call this an infringement of local rights. Divisions between corporate enclaves like Petropolis and Kossuth, and city-states with pro-labor governments have also led to divisions in the Council. Zagazig Mayor Irene Mugabe was named chairperson of the council as a compromise candidate between the various factions, and does her best to organize her fellow mayors. Mugabe has no intention of being remembered as the captain of a sinking ship and is trying to identify the group most likely to lead the Council to a renewed sense of purpose. She is currently leaning toward Laurent Belli and his Clearwater faction.
Structure
The Council includes all the municipal leaders in the NLC, as well as five rural regional representatives. Only Second Follower Hutchison. the nominal leader of Sorrento, has declined personal involvement in the council and has assigned Ali Gujil as the city-state's envoy. Other mayors use envoys, but will s i t at full council meetings which occur every two seasons or when called for by circumstances. Between meetings, the office of the council is staffed by managers and lobbyists to maintain the council's presence and coordinate efforts. Much of the council's decisions are reached through teleconferencing, which has become prevalent thanks to the Hermes 72 satellite network. Although Irene Mugabe officially chairs all meetings, the real power in the council orbits around the faction leaders. Laurent Belli, the young mayor of Exeter, leads the Clearwater faction, which i s opposed to the Revisionist Church's use of national resources, while Emil Grou-Durtrie, CEO of Petropolis and Northern Petrochem, leads corporate interests which tend to put business ahead of all other concerns.
Public Agenda
The concerns that grip the council are those that divide the league as a whole. The place of the Church in politics and society has polarized many of the city-states, while the upswing in violent crime has left some unable or unwilling to refuse national aid. Internal dissent has crippled the council's effectiveness, leading some to question its usefulness. Laurent Belli and his Clearwater faction (which includes Franklin Harbor, the Clearwater region and Kossuth) are the most dynamic group within the council and they have been able to coopt much of its resources to its causes. Although the council has yet to make any major proclamation on the Church other than saying that it "has a role to play" , Belli has been able to use the council's contacts and lobbyists to promote his viewpoints. This has made him a popular leader in Exeter, an influential figure in Valeria and a target of disparagement among the most fervent political supporters of the Church.
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