Resolution
Definition
A resolution is a formal statement of a council's position, policy, or one-time action. It is less formal than an ordinance, usually needs no public hearing or multiple readings, and can pass by simple majority at a single meeting.
Why it matters
Because resolutions are easy to pass and easy to reverse, councils often use them for symbolic statements or temporary decisions rather than binding law. That makes them a lower-friction way to signal intent, but also a weaker tool: a resolution carries no legal force the way an ordinance does.
Seen in the wild
City councils across the country adopted resolutions declaring climate emergencies in the late 2010s and early 2020s, including Los Angeles City Council's 2019 resolution, statements of intent that carried no direct regulatory force on their own but set the stage for later ordinances on building emissions and fossil fuel infrastructure.1