This is the 10803rd most frequent German word.
räte
"Räte" means "councils" in English.
In this sentence, 'Räte' refers to 'councils', meaning groups of people assigned to deliberate or manage tasks at a municipal level.
Die Räte der Stadt diskutieren über neue Bauprojekte.
The councils of the city are discussing new construction projects.
Here, 'rät' is a verb form (3rd person singular present tense) of 'raten', which means 'to advise'. It shows action.
Er rät mir, vorsichtig zu sein.
He advises me to be cautious.
Again, 'Räte' is the plural noun form of 'Rat', referring to councils or advisory bodies in a regional context.