Local authorities publish minutes of council and other public meetings to inform the public about council activities and serve as a record of official council business.
Local authorities may monitor economic performance indicators. These indicators include employment, enterprise, investment, housing, consumer behaviour and commercial property to benchmark their progress against local and national policy targets.
Local authorities help Local Community Development Committees to create an integrated approach to community development by coordinating access to funding, developing and delivering projects, and promoting community engagement.
Local authorities manage local elections where successful candidates are elected to the council to represent their community as councillors for five years.