A City Council, if it exists in a town, is often the primary municipal authority for the powers granted to it by its state. A Council's representatives are directly elected by the citizens of the area. The Council is usually chaired by the mayor of the town. Councils often have the power to levy fines, authorize the creation of misdemeanors, and spend money--sometimes, a great deal of sales and property taxes for a given area. Councils decide the zoning codes for a region, whether to annex land, and how to distribute power and water amongst its city. While councils are oft forgotten in the larger political spectrum, no other political body has a more consistent, direct impact on a citizen.