This article is about the government of Rosario, the third most populated city in Argentina, and the largest in the province of Santa Fe. Rosario has about 910,000 inhabitants 2001 census [INDEC] and is located on the western shore of the Paraná River.
Rosario is ruled by two branches of government: the Executive, represented by a Mayor (Intendente), and the Legislative, consisting of a Deliberative Council (Concejo Municipal). The status of the city and its form of government are dictated by Santa Fe's Provincial Organic Law of Municipalities (Ley Provincial Nº 2756/39 Orgánica de las Municipalidades), according to which Rosario is a first-category municipality (having more than 200,000 inhabitants).
The Mayor is elected by popular direct vote for a four-year term. He manages several Secretariats in charge of different fields: Government; Finance and Economy; Health; Public Works; Public Services and Environment; Planning; Social Promotion; Culture and Education; Production, Employment Promotion and Foreign Trade; General Secretariat; General Direction of Public Housing Service; General Direction of Social Communication; and the Human Rights Secretariat, established in 2005 and the first of its kind at the municipal level in Argentina. The seat of the Executive branch (Municipalidad) is the Palacio de los Leones, located beside the Cathedral, at the historical core of the city.
The Deliberative Council is in charge of local legislation, passing municipal regulations (ordenanzas). It renews half of its 21 members (Concejales) every two years. It gathers near the Municipality, in its seat at the Palacio Vassallo.