Mayor–council government

A '''mayor–council government''' is a system of local government in which a mayor who is directly elected by the voters acts as chief executive, while a separately elected city council constitutes the legislative body. It is one of the two most common forms of local government in the United States, and is the form most frequently adopted in large cities, although the other common form, council–manager government, is the local government form of more municipalities.{{Cn|date=September 2024}} ==Variations and mayoral power== The form may be categorized into two main variations depending on the relative power of the mayor compared to the council, the ''strong-mayor'' variant and the ''weak-mayor'' variant.

In a typical ''strong-mayor'' system, the elected mayor is granted almost total administrative authority with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads, although some city charters or prevailing state law may require council ratification. In such a system, the mayor's administrative staff often prepares the city budget, although that budget must be approved by the council.<ref name="JSOTR">{{Cite journal |author1=Kathy Hayes |author2=Semoon Chang |date=July 1990 |title=The Relative Efficiency of City Manager and Mayor–Council Forms of Government |journal=Southern Economic Journal |volume=57 |issue=1 |pages=167–177 |doi=10.2307/1060487 |jstor=1060487}}</ref> The mayor may also have veto rights over council votes, with the council able to override such a veto.

Conversely, in a ''weak-mayor'' system, the mayor has no formal authority outside the council, serving a largely ceremonial role as council chairperson and is elected by the citizens of the city. The mayor cannot directly appoint or remove officials and lacks veto power over council votes.<ref name="saffell">{{Cite book |last1=Saffell, Dave C. |title=State and Local Government: Politics and Public Policies. |last2=Harry Basehart |publisher=McGraw Hill |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-07-352632-4 |edition=9th |page=237}}</ref>

==Use across the world== Most major North American cities use the strong-mayor form of the mayor–council system, whereas middle-sized and small North American cities tend to use the council–manager system.<ref name="GIA">{{Cite book |author1=George C. Edwards III |title=Government in America |author2=Robert L. Lineberry |author3=Martin P. Wattenberg |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2006 |isbn=0-321-29236-7 |pages=677–678}}</ref> The system is also commonly in place in Asian countries.<ref>{{cite book |title=Decentralization and Local Democracy in the World: First Global Report by United Cities and Local Governments 2008 |date=4 November 2008 |publisher=World Bank Publications |isbn=978-0-8213-7735-2 |pages=80–81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8m2CQeX4EuwC&dq=mayor+council+system+in+asia&pg=PA80 |language=en}}</ref>

Germany uses a form that resembles the strong-mayor variant. Italy also uses the strong-mayor model system.

The mayor–council government system is also used in some Asian countries.

Mayors in Japan are directly elected, holding significant power, with the directly elected council (assembly) providing a check and balance, operating under central government oversight according to the Japanese Local Autonomy Act (UAL). While the local government has similarities to a strong mayor–council system, and the mayor has veto powers, there are also aspects of the parliamentary form of government; the local assembly can issue a vote of no confidence. If the vote is passed, the mayor will dissolve the assembly and the people will vote in a new one. If this happens a second time and passes, the mayor is removed.<ref>{{cite web|last1= Benjamin (senior researcher, Japan Local Government Center)|first1= Seth B.|last2= Grant (director, ICMA)|first2= Jason|title=Japan: Local Autonomy Is a Central Tenet to Good Governance|url=https://icma.org/articles/article/japan-local-autonomy-central-tenet-good-governance|publisher= International City/County Management Association (ICMA)|date= 29 March 2022|accessdate=30 July 2025|url-status=|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |author1=Colin Copus |title=Leading the Localities: Executive Mayors in English Local Governance |publisher= Manchester University Press |date= 26 May 2006 |isbn=9780719071867 |chapter= Chapter 7 (''The elected mayor: lessons from overseas'') |chapter-url=https://academic.oup.com/manchester-scholarship-online/book/19882/chapter-abstract/178776330?redirectedFrom=fulltext | doi = 10.7228/manchester/9780719071867.003.0007}} {{Registration required}} (online date= 19 July 2012, {{ISBN|978-1-78170-137-9}})</ref>

Taiwan's administrative divisions include six special municipalities, including the capital Taipei, which use a mayor-council form of government; counties use a similar system with a chief executive called a magistrate.<ref>{{cite web|last= |first= |title=Government organizations: (County (City) Level)|url= https://english.president.gov.tw/Page/106#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Local%20Government,%2C%20Hsinchu%2C%20and%20Chiayi)|publisher= Office of the President|date= |accessdate=30 July 2025|url-status=|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayor-council government}} Category:Forms of local government Category:Local government in the United States Category:Local government in Canada