Urban Council
From Freepedia
The Urban Council (市政局, UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the Urban Services Department.
History
Image:Hk map uc lc.png The Urban Council was first established as the Sanitary Board in 1883. In 1887, a system of partial elections was established, allowing selected individuals to vote for members on the board. The council gained its name in 1936; and became an elected body comprised of representatives from different sectors. It became a fully elected body with members from constituencies and district boards in the early 1980s. After the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the name was changed to Provisional Urban Council, comprised of members of the pre-handover UrbCo, and new members appointed by the Chief Executive.
Demise
The elected body,together with the Provisional Regional Council (its equivalent in the New Territories), was dissolved on 31 December 1999 under the then-Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's plan to streamline and centralise municipal services as part of his government's policy reforms.
The functions of the two councils was replaced by two newly-established government departments, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
