Amsterdam

:Alternate meanings: See Amsterdam

City government

Main article: Amsterdam (municipality)

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As all Dutch municipalities, Amsterdam is governed by a mayor, his wethouders (aldermen), and the municipal council. However, unlike most other Dutch municipalities, Amsterdam is subdivided into fifteen stadsdelen (boroughs), a system that was implemented in the 1980s to improve local governance. The stadsdelen are responsible for many activities that previously had been run by the central city. Fourteen of these have their own council, chosen by a popular election. The fifteenth, Westerpoort, covers the harbour of Amsterdam, has very few inhabitants and is governed by the central municipal council. Local decisions are made at borough level and only affairs pertaining the whole city (like major infrastructural projects), are handled by the central city council.

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