The department’s primary mandate is to coordinate day to day operations of the institution. The department is headed by the Council Secretary who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Council whose mandate is to plan, coordinate, harmonize and control all Council operations, provide strategic direction for the management of the Council and determine Councils direction in terms of development and growth within the mandates provided for under the relevant statutes, strategic plan, Council policies and general guidelines emanating from Ministerial circulars and policy statements.

The Council Secretary being Chief Executive Officer of the Council is under statutory duty to carry out all the functions and, in particular, to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a Local Authority’s Principal Officer.  The Council Secretary is responsible for ensuring that instructions of the Council in accordance with its functions as a Local Authority are carried out.

The Council Secretary is expected to advise the Council on, and assist in the formation of, overall policies to be followed in respect of the Local Authority’s activities and in particular to produce all the information required for making effective decisions and to implement constructively all decisions.  The post holder is accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and reports to it (Council) as and when required.

The Council Secretary is also the Controlling Officer and is responsible for all the financial decisions of the Council and the careful administration of its finances in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the Council and other relevant laws.

Legal section

Statutes giving legal backing to collection of revenues

Councils are empowered by various statutes in their capacity as government agencies to levy taxes on citizens living within their boundaries. Taxes include the following:

• Property rates under the Rating Act No. 12 of 1997 as amended by Act no. 9 of 1999 (Cap 192)
• Personal Levy under the Personal Levy Act Cap 329 of the Laws of Zambia
• Municipal Annual Business and Trading Permits under Local Government (Business Levy) Regulation, 2011
• Market and Bus Station levies under the Market and Bus Station Act no.7 of the Laws of Zambia.
• Liquor Licensing under The Liquor Licensing Act no.20, 2011.
• Rentals under the Landlords and Tenants (Business Premises) Act no 193 of the Laws of Zambia.
• Councils also have powers to impose levies, fees and charges (s. 69 & 70) on the citizenry by way of by-laws (s.76) or council resolutions (The Local Government Act Cap 281).
• Country and Planning Act(Urban and Regional Planning Act No.3 of 2015)
• Public Health Act
• Water and Sanitation Act
• Roads Act
• Births and Deaths Registration Act
• Marriage Act CAP 50