The mayor and City Council are the elected policy makers for the City of Shakopee. Their responsibilities include:

• Adopting and enforcing ordinances
• Establishing public and administrative policies 
• Appointing the city administrator and administrative staff
• Creating boards and commissions
• Managing the city's financial operations, including levying taxes, approving a budget, auditing expenditures and borrowing money
• Transacting all other City business as required by law

The five members of the City Council also serve as the Economic Development Authority (EDA).

The mayor is the chief executive officer of the City and presides at meetings of the City Council. The mayor is a voting member of the council, with no power of veto. The mayor is elected to serve a four-year term and receives an annual salary of $15,000. Four City Council members are elected to staggered, four-year terms. A council member’s annual salary is $7,500. Both the mayor and the City Council members are elected at-large, on a nonpartisan basis.

At each meeting, there is a designated period of time for public comment, during which community members in the audience who wish to speak on an item not listed on the meeting agenda are invited to the podium. 

Before addressing the City Council, attendees must sign in with their name and address. Most meetings of the City Council and the boards and commissions are televised, so speakers are asked to step up to the podium and speak loudly and clearly.

Comments should not be more than five minutes in length; the mayor may adjust the time depending on the number of persons seeking to comment. Longer presentations must be scheduled through the City Clerk’s Office.

This comment period may not be used to make personal attacks, air personality grievances, make political endorsements or for political campaign purposes. Council action should not be expected at the time of a proposed non-agenda item; questions from council are for clarification only.

Public comments are always taken during public hearings. However, for other issues, it is left to the discretion of the mayor as to whether to take comments.

The Shakopee City Council encourages public input at appropriate and scheduled times. To ensure all have an opportunity to speak and to allow the conduct of business, the City Council has established the following public participation rules. These rules apply to all City of Shakopee public meetings. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from council chambers or meeting rooms. 

• Unless permitted, everyone should remain seated, not block any doorways and not enter the space forward of the speaker’s podium. No movement of chairs is allowed.
• Speakers shall not make personal attacks, air personality grievances, make political endorsements or make political campaign statements.
• Audience members shall not engage in disorderly conduct, including using loud, threatening or abusive language; whistling; clapping; stamping of feet; repeatedly waiving of arms; or other disruptive acts or gestures.
• All demonstrations that disrupt or impede the orderly conduct of meetings are prohibited.
• Photographs, audio, and video may be taken from any available public seat or from the meeting room rear. This activity shall not be conducted in any manner that disturbs or disrupts the audience, speakers or council members or otherwise disrupts the council meeting.
• Animals are prohibited in the council chambers except for trained service animals as defined under state and federal law.
• The mayor or chair shall be responsible for maintaining the order of all meetings and has the following powers:
  • to issue a verbal warning to a person violating these rules;
  • to exclude a person from the remainder of a meeting if, after a warning, a person continues to violate the rules; and
  • to recess or adjourn the meeting for safety reasons