"It's unfair that the council take the chamber by the southern wall for the house of healing. Not when we require a space to bake our bread and prepare our meats."
- An anonymous speaker, protesting at one of the council's meetings
Winter's governing body, the Council of Winter sees to the settlement's needs. The council is accepted by Winter's private citizens, however the placement of the house of healing's needs above those of the settlement are often complained about, however these prioritisations are often minor and aren't known put the citizens in any real danger.
Council members are chosen based on the reputation each member has within Winter. This means that more settled and usually older members of Winter are chosen over newcomers from The Great Walk, this is because the skills and attitude needed to make the long walk are different to those needed for a settled life. New council members are chosen when a current council member suggests a person for membership. The merits of this person are then discussed among the council and is then voted on. This is one of the few situations where the chief minister isn't allowed the right of veto to prevent them from implementing a council of people who would be willing to go along with their less popular ideas. There currently exists no official limit to the overall number of council members, however it is usually kept beneath 15 people as an unspoken rule to prevent over-discussion of the more divisive decisions that need to be made.
Decisions are discussed between council members, with the final decision being made by its chief minister. The chief minister is elected among and by current council members and has the right of veto. Elections are normally held whenever the current chief minister finds themselves unable to continue in their duties or dies. The chief minister can also have a vote of no confidence brought against them, where if over 3 of every 4 council member believes the chief minister is unworthy of their title, the chief minister is removed from the council. Some chief ministers who have overly abused their right of veto have often had their final decision ignored by the council at large and promptly deposed.
The council exists to better the settlement. This takes the form of improving farming conditions, access to water for drinking and bathing, reinforcing security and defences among other methods. Because a majority of council members belong to or belonged to the house of healing, its needs are often prioritised, however the council often retains enough sense to not completely disregard the needs of the people above the wants of the house of healing.
The council was formed hundreds of years ago when a high number of disagreements threatened Winter. The settlers whose opinions were held in especially high regard were made the first council members. Because of the Rule of Five, Winter's representative was also given the role of chief minister, however because the title of belonging to the Rule of Five was only relinquished upon death and rarely came into use, and because many chief ministers found themselves unable or unwilling to continue in their duties, the two roles were made separate.
<aside> ➡️ Related pages
</aside>
<aside> 📝 Page author: Santiago Towner
</aside>