{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.mayor-of-a-place-in-belgium","code":"thing-q16009147","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q16009147/","name":"mayor of a place in Belgium","alternateNames":["Mayor of Berchem","Mayor of Ghent","Mayor of Ixelles - Elsene","honorary mayor","Mayor of Aalst","Mayor of Asse","Mayor of Zonhoven","Mayor of Dendermonde","Mayor of Puurs-Sint-Amands","mayor of Lembeke","Mayor of Beernem","Mayor of Bertem"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.5","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Society, people and institutions","entryKind":"thing","plane":"SOC","domain":["SOC.PER"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The mayor (burgemeester in Dutch, bourgmestre in French, Buergermeister in German) of a Belgian municipality, who chairs the college of mayor and aldermen and holds public-order powers; selection rules differ by region: designation by preference votes with Flemish government appointment in Flanders since 2024, by operation of law in Wallonia's ordinary system, appointment by the regional government in Brussels, and selection through the majority pact in the German-speaking Community.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the office of mayor in Belgium, how mayors are appointed and their powers, and find current office holders from official sources.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["In Flanders since the 2024 elections, the Belgian councillor with the most preference votes in the largest coalition group is normally designated; the six peripheral municipalities keep a nomination procedure.","In Wallonia's ordinary system the councillor with the most preference votes on the strongest majority list becomes mayor by law; Brussels law allows appointment from outside the council under conditions.","Municipal law is a regional competence since 2001-2002 (and of the German-speaking Community since 2005)."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"office","name":"Office","description":"Which mayor.","layers":[{"id":"municipality","name":"Municipality","description":"Place.","findings":[{"id":"municipality","name":"Municipality","description":"Name and code.","questions":[{"text":"Which municipality?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which NIS code?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"holder","name":"Holder","description":"Person.","findings":[{"id":"holder","name":"Holder","description":"Name and term.","questions":[{"text":"Who is mayor?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Since when, per which source?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"appointment","name":"Appointment","description":"Rules.","layers":[{"id":"region","name":"Region","description":"Applicable law.","findings":[{"id":"law","name":"Law","description":"Decree or code.","questions":[{"text":"Which region's law applies?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which article?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"process","name":"Process","description":"Nomination.","findings":[{"id":"process","name":"Process","description":"Steps.","questions":[{"text":"How was the mayor appointed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"By which government decision?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"powers","name":"Powers","description":"Competences.","layers":[{"id":"public-order","name":"Public order","description":"Police powers.","findings":[{"id":"power","name":"Power","description":"Description.","questions":[{"text":"Which public order powers?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Under which law?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"executive","name":"Executive","description":"College.","findings":[{"id":"college","name":"College","description":"Role.","questions":[{"text":"What is the mayor's role in the college?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Per which law?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"titles","name":"Titles","description":"Honorary.","layers":[{"id":"honorary-mayor","name":"Honorary mayor","description":"Title.","findings":[{"id":"honorary-title","name":"Honorary title","description":"Conditions.","questions":[{"text":"When is the honorary title granted?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"By whom?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"Past mayors.","findings":[{"id":"past-holder","name":"Past holder","description":"Name and term.","questions":[{"text":"Who held the office before?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"From which source?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["explain the office and point to official lists"],"mustNot":["state current office holders without a dated source"],"requiresHuman":[]},"ethics":{"considerations":["accuracy","neutrality"],"affectedParties":["residents"]},"owners":{"steward":"the municipality, with the regional or community authority","roles":[],"masterSystems":["regional lists of mayors"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q30185","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"mayor","type":"related","note":"office"},{"target":"municipality of Belgium","type":"related","note":"local government"},{"target":"college of mayor and aldermen","type":"related","note":"executive"},{"target":"provincial governor","type":"related","note":"oversight"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.mayor-of-a-place-in-belgium","Wikidata: Q16009147 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16009147)","NIS/INS municipality code: 5 digits for the municipality served"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Mayoral sash in Belgian national colours at official events"]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the office and powers","explain appointment rules by region","find current mayors from official sources","explain the honorary mayor title"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Outdated lists after elections"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Flemish Decree on Local Government (2017)","Walloon Code of Local Democracy and Decentralisation","Brussels New Municipal Law","German-speaking Community Gemeindedekret of 23 April 2018"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Local executive leadership and public order.","mayor in Flanders","mayor in Wallonia","mayor in the Brussels-Capital Region","mayor in the German-speaking Community","acting mayor","honorary mayor (a title without executive powers)"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Q16009147","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16009147","note":"identity of the registry item, labels and sitelinks"},{"title":"Mayor (Belgium)","url":"","note":"office of mayor in Belgium"},{"title":"Aanduiding","url":"https://www.vlaanderen.be/lokaal-bestuur/organisatie-en-werking/burgemeester/aanduiding","note":"Post-2024 designation, appointment and succession rules, including peripheral-municipality exceptions."},{"title":"Code de la democratie locale et de la decentralisation","url":"https://wallex.wallonie.be/eli/loi-decret/2004/04/22/200427184/2023/11/26","note":"Article L1123-4: election by operation of law; majority pact and municipal executive."},{"title":"Nouvelle loi communale: Titre I","url":"https://brulocalis.brussels/fr/textes-legaux/nouvelle-loi-communale-texte-coordonne/titre-i-du-corps-communal-art-1-70","note":"Brussels appointment rules, exceptions to council membership and honorary titles."},{"title":"Handbuch fuer Gemeindemandatare","url":"https://ostbelgienlive.be/PortalData/2/Resources/downloads/Handbuch_Gemeindemandatare_2018.pdf","note":"Municipal decree, council selection through the majority pact, mayoral functions and German terminology."},{"title":"REFNIS code","url":"https://statbel.fgov.be/nl/open-data/refnis-code-0","note":"Five-digit codes identify administrative entities, including municipalities."},{"title":"Bourgmestre","url":"https://www.vocabulairepolitique.be/bourgmestre/","note":"Comparative regional rules, public-order powers, acting mayors and appointment exceptions."}],"openQuestions":["The registry merges individual mayoral offices (Ghent, Aalst and others); they can be linked as instances."],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q16009147/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q16009147/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-10-22T11:11:29Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-22T11:25:59+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 7 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"An office has no physical properties."},"score":1.0}}