diff --git a/api/apientry.py b/api/api.py
similarity index 92%
rename from api/apientry.py
rename to api/api.py
index 3bf34fa3..1866cbdd 100644
--- a/api/apientry.py
+++ b/api/api.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from flask import *
 from api import queries
 import json
+from auth import authenticate
 
 
 
diff --git a/api/queries.py b/api/queries.py
index 0dc04c43..828d95da 100644
--- a/api/queries.py
+++ b/api/queries.py
@@ -3,21 +3,14 @@
 from models.member import member
 from models.request import request
 from sqlalchemy import select
-from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 import variables
-from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+from db.database import create_db_engine, executeQuery
 
 
 #execute query
 
-db_engine = create_engine("postgresql://{}:{}@{}/{}".format(variables.db_user,
-                                                             variables.db_password,
-                                                             variables.db_host,
-                                                             variables.db_name), echo=True)
+db_engine = create_db_engine()
 
-def executeQuery(statement, engine):
-    with Session(engine) as session:
-        return session.execute(statement)
     
 
 # returns list of dicts for each member
@@ -30,7 +23,7 @@ def getMembers():
                member.emailaddress,
                member.slackhandle)
     )
-    result = executeQuery(stmt,db_engine)
+    result = executeQuery(stmt, db_engine)
     baselist = []
     for row in result.all():
         baselist.append(dict(zip(result.keys(), row)))
@@ -52,4 +45,5 @@ def getMemberByID(memberId):
         response = dict(zip(result.keys(), result.one()))
     except:
        raise ValueError("Member does not exist")
-    return response
\ No newline at end of file
+    return response
+
diff --git a/auth/__init__.py b/auth/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/auth/authenticate.py b/auth/authenticate.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f09068f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/auth/authenticate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+import variables
+from db.database import create_db_engine, executeQuery
+from auth.token import authToken
+from sqlalchemy import select
+
+db_engine = create_db_engine()
+
+def get_userrole(token):
+    stmt = (
+        select(authToken.role).where(authToken.token == token)
+    )
+    result = executeQuery(stmt, db_engine)
+    return result.one()[0]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/auth/token.py b/auth/token.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36fb9337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/auth/token.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from sqlalchemy import Column, Integer, DateTime, String, Date, TEXT, ForeignKey
+from sqlalchemy.orm import DeclarativeBase
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Mapped
+from sqlalchemy.orm import mapped_column
+from sqlalchemy.orm import relationship
+from models.baseModel import Base
+
+
+
+class userRole(Base):
+    __tablename__ = 'userroles'
+
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    rolename: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(45))
+    get: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column()
+    put: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column()
+    update: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column()
+    seemembers: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column()
+
+class authToken(Base):
+    __tablename__ = 'authtokens'
+
+    id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(primary_key=True)
+    token: Mapped[str] = mapped_column((String(64)))
+    email: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(45))
+    slackhandle: Mapped[str] = mapped_column((String(45)))
+    role: Mapped[str] = mapped_column((String(45)))
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/db/__init__.py b/db/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/db/database.py b/db/database.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc0a9a3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/database.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+import variables
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+
+def create_db_engine():
+ return create_engine("postgresql://{}:{}@{}/{}".format(variables.db_user,
+                                                             variables.db_password,
+                                                             variables.db_host,
+                                                             variables.db_name), echo=True)
+
+def executeQuery(statement, db_engine):
+    with Session(db_engine) as session:
+        return session.execute(statement)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/db_init.py b/db_init.py
index b41839cd..47d36ab8 100644
--- a/db_init.py
+++ b/db_init.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import variables
 from sqlalchemy_utils import database_exists, create_database
+from db.database import create_db_engine
 
 
 ##MODELS NEED TO BE IMPORTED HERE
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@
 import models.request
 import models.baseModel
 import models.install
+import auth.token
 
 
 
@@ -17,10 +19,7 @@
 
 def main():
 
-    engine = create_engine("postgresql://{}:{}@{}/{}".format(variables.db_user,
-                                                             variables.db_password,
-                                                             variables.db_host,
-                                                             variables.db_name), echo=True)
+    engine = create_db_engine()
 
     if not database_exists(engine.url):
         create_database(engine.url)