Kinds of City Government
This is the oldest and most common form of city government in the United States. It consists of a mayor; a council whose members commonly represent districts, or wards; and various boards or commissions. In most cities, council members are called councilmen, although the older term—aldermen—is used in some places. The mayor, councilmen, and sometimes other officials (such as the treasurer) are elected. The mayor is the chief executive and is responsible both for policy leadership and for carrying out ordinances (laws) passed by the council. In some cities, he prepares the budget and has sole authority over appointments; in others, he shares these responsibilities with the council.
Mayor-council government often suffers from a lack of coordination due to division of authority between the mayor, council, and boards. The political spoils (patronage) system often interferes with honest, efficient administration. However, civil service provisions and better informed voters have done much to do away with political “machines” by which masses of votes were bought with favors and jobs.
The chief officials are elected on a nonpartisan ballot. Together they form the legislative body (council) while individually they usually serve as the administrative heads of the city departments. This form of government was developed mainly to combat municipal corruption. It was first adopted by Galveston, Texas, in 1901. Its main weakness is its lack of a chief administrator.
Under this system, a small, nonpartisan council is elected. The chief administrator is the city manager, hired by the council. Ideally, the city manager is chosen for his efficiency and experience, without consideration of party politics. He appoints other city officials, directs the various departments, and prepares the annual budget. He is responsible only to the council. Cities operating under the council-manager plan retain a mayor, but his functions are limited to presiding over meetings and officiating at public ceremonies.
This system is an improvement over the commission plan, which it has largely replaced. It was first adopted by Staunton, Virginia, in 1908 and attracted wide-spead attention after Dayton, Ohio, adopted it in 1913.
Most cities are governed by some type of city council with a separate executive. Generally, city councils are elected by the citizens of the municipality. In many cities (particularly those in western Europe), the city council chooses the executive from among its members. In some cities, the executive is popularly elected. Executives in other cities are appointed by the national government.
In totalitarian countries, municipal elections are held but candidates of the state-supported party often run unopposed. In nations that are ruled by military dictatorships, municipal elections generally are not permitted, and city officials are appointed by the national government.
