Why are the City Council committees important?

The City Council uses four standing committees, each composed of 3 or 4 aldermen. The Council refers almost all of the matters it handles to one of these committees to study and provide a report with a recommendation for action. In 2026 every single final action on a committee report approved by the full City Council adopted the action recommended by the committee without change. For more see Council or Committee, Who Makes the Decisions?