Table of Contents

Role of a mayor

The mayor has a far smaller role in a different, more modern form of municipal government called the council-manager system, essentially acting as the leader of the council. Regardless of the structure of local government, the mayor’s position is primarily determined by how they interact with the council and the federal government. The mayor serves as both the nominal and real leader of the local administration in nations like France where they are agents of the federal government. Put differently, the role is essentially set by the national government, and the mayor has far more executive authority than the council. The mayor is the driving force behind local administration and the major source of policy as an agent of the federal government.

Appointment or Selection or Election of Mayor

A mayor is the head of a municipal government in modern parlance. As a result, the mayor preside over both the local council and its executive committee virtually always. The mayor may also serve as the local representative of the federal government, the chief executive officer, and the head of ceremonies. The mayor has a far smaller role in a different, more modern form of municipal government called the council-manager system, essentially acting as the leader of the council. Regardless of the structure of local government, the mayor’s position is primarily determined by how they interact with the council and the federal government.

Duty of a Mayor

Since the establishment of popularly elected municipal councils, most mayors have assumed a dual position, serving not only as chief administrative officer of the municipal administration but also as agents of the central government responsible with ensuring public order, security, and health.

In the United States, the central government never had direct power over the cities, and mayors were either elected by the general public or appointed by a municipal council whose members were also elected. Among the reform efforts of the early twentieth century was the so-called council-manager system, in which the mayor, whether chosen by the council or by the people at large, simply presided over the council while the majority of executive duties were handled by a city manager hired by the Local Council.