Mayor

A mayor-council government is a form of municipal government characterized by the at large election of a mayor to serve in an executive role for the municipality and preside over council meetings. An elected council maintains legislative powers and consists of a specified number of members, sometimes referred to as aldermen/women. The council members are often elected from distinct wards or districts of the municipality. This structure is modeled on that of the state and federal governments.[1][2]

The mayor-council form of government is one of the five historical forms of municipal government in the United States. The others are council-manager, commission, open town meeting and representative town meeting. A city's form of government and distribution of powers may be determined by state law, the city's charter or local ordinances. The mayor-council form is the second most common form of local government in the United States, after the council-manager form. It is popular in large cities and cities with fewer than 5,000 people.[1] According to surveys by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), as of 2011 33% of cities use the mayor-council form of government.[3]

-------------------------------------------------

Division of power

The executive power of the mayor in a mayor-council government may be classified as strong or weak. These designations signify the amount of political power and administrative authority granted to the mayor by the laws governing the form of the municipal government.

Strong mayor form

In the strong mayor form the mayor exercises a true centralized executive authority. He or she has robust powers of appointment and removal for heads of city departments and commissions, has the power to veto measures passed by the council and prepares the budget. Some municipalities permit strong mayors to appoint a city administrator to assist with day-to-day administrative responsibilities.[2][4]

Advantages of a strong...