City Council Powers

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It all started when…

The chief elected official of a city or municipality is commonly titled the mayor. The mayor may be elected directly or appointed by an elected council, depending on the city’s form of government and authority given to the mayor. Although voters in the majority of cities (76 percent) elect the mayor or council president directly, there is variation by population, geographic division, and form of government.

Mayors are bestowed varying degrees of responsibility and authority across the nation, especially depending on a city’s form of government.

These responsibilities may include:

  • Serving on the city council;

  • Voting in council meetings;

  • Assigning council members to chair or serve on committees;

  • Appointing citizens to serve on advisory boards or commissions;

  • Preparing the annual budget; Receiving the annual budget developed by chief administrative official or city manager; and

  • Making an annual report to the council.

Characteristics of a “strong” mayor:

  • The mayor is the chief executive officer, centralizing executive power.

  • The mayor directs the administrative structure, appointing and removing of department heads.

  • While the council has legislative power, the mayor has veto power.

  • The council does not oversee daily operations.

Characteristics of a “weak” mayor:

  • The council is powerful, with both legislative and executive authority.

  • The mayor is not truly the chief executive, with limited power or no veto power.

  • The council can prevent the mayor from effectively supervising city administration.

  • There may be many administrative boards and commissions that operate independently from the city government.

https://www.nlc.org/resource/cities-101-mayoral-powers/