Civiceye

Glossary

The words of municipal documents, as Civiceye uses them. On the other pages, a word underlined with dots leads here and is defined when you hover over it. Municipalities name their authorities differently from one canton to the next: the definitions give the word used in the documents.

Proposal
A written proposal from the executive to the Municipal Council (a credit, a by-law, the budget…), called «préavis» in Vaud, «Botschaft» or «Vorlage» in German-speaking communes, «messaggio municipale» in Ticino. The council adopts it, amends it or rejects it, or the executive withdraws it.
Executive
The municipality's executive body, «Municipalité» in Vaud, «Gemeinderat» in most German-speaking cantons, «Municipio» in Ticino: the mayor («syndic») and its members, who run the municipality and draft the proposals.
Municipal Council
The municipality's legislative body, elected by the people, «Conseil communal» in Vaud: it votes on the proposals, the budget and the accounts. In many small municipalities, the citizens' assembly takes this role.
Minutes
The official record of a session of the Municipal Council («procès-verbal»): the items dealt with, the debates and the votes.
Amendment
A change to a proposal voted by the Municipal Council before adopting it.
Annual report
The executive's yearly report on its work («rapport de gestion»): works, studies, services, by department.
Department
The area a member of the executive is in charge of (public works, schools, finance…), with the corresponding services («dicastère»).
Budget
The expenses and revenue planned for the following year, voted by the Municipal Council.
Accounts
The expenses and revenue actually recorded during the past year, approved by the Municipal Council.
Expenses
A year's operating spending: salaries, maintenance, subsidies, interest, depreciation…
Revenue
A year's income: taxes, levies, fees, contributions from other public bodies…
Surplus / deficit
The difference between revenue and expenses: a surplus is a profit, a deficit a loss.
Investment credit
An amount the Municipal Council grants for an investment (works, a purchase, a study). It is voted separately and depreciated over several years, outside the operating budget.
MCH2
Harmonised Accounting Model 2 (HRM2 in German, MCA2 in Italian): the common chart of accounts of Swiss cantons and municipalities. Its functions are divided differently from the former Vaud chart of accounts.
Motion, postulate, interpellation
Interventions by a council member: a motion obliges the executive to act, a postulate asks it to study a question, an interpellation puts a question to it.
Plot
A numbered piece of land in the land register («parcelle»): a proposal designates land by its number.

Verification signs

Summaries, amounts and votes are extracted automatically from the documents, then checked: each item carries one of these signs.