July is the most patriotic month. Therefore, it is your civic duty to refresh yourself on the municipal goings-on during the season of ice cream trucks and swimming pools. (Or whatever the equivalent is in the Southern Hemisphere. Hot cocoa mix and ice skating rinks?) Make sure you know about the comedy skits, the family drama, and the extramarital affair that we profiled in July.

We chronicled:

4 council meetings

In 4 states

With a combined population of

234,300

We saw

The 30-year-old Book Mobile return to glory

1 mayor shrug off the hostility toward him

200 flags for a soldier

4 podcast interviews, including the city manager with a theatrically-inclined council and the councilor who got told she wasn’t where she knew she was

2 extra minutes given out liberally to commenters

And while you were busy watching fireworks, these fine municipal guardians were watching the business of their townsfolk:

Titusville, Florida city council

Inglewood, California city council

American Fork, Utah city council

Middletown, Ohio city council