How to Run for Mayor in a Small Town

While they may not make as many headlines as the leaders of larger cities, small-town leaders are the lifeblood of American government and politics. Running for mayor in a small town is an excellent way to begin or continue your political career. Even more importantly, it’s an incredible way to make a positive impact on your community.

In this guide, we’ll explore the main executive and administrative duties of small-town mayors. We’ll also provide the essential knowledge and tips you need to get started planning your own campaign for mayor.

The Core Duties of Small-Town Mayors

Mayors oversee the daily municipal operations of their communities. In many ways, a small town is a lot like a business in that it has routine operations to perform. Things like trash collection, water and sewer management, and public safety all fall under the umbrella of a small-town mayor’s responsibilities.

Mayors’ main duties can be divided into two categories: executive and administrative responsibilities.

A Mayor’s Executive Responsibilities

A mayor's primary function is to serve as the executive leader of their town government. This includes attending and directing town council and town hall meetings. Mayors must interact with staff members and residents to address political concerns and issues. 

A mayor’s town governance duties include:

• Presiding Over Meetings: The mayor oversees and chairs various meetings, including town council meetings. In some cases, they may be required to act as a tie breaker by casting their own vote.

• Signing Official Documents: These documents include ordinances, contracts, grant agreements, and resolutions. The mayor must call the city clerk to witness documents containing ordinances and resolutions. The clerk can also sign checks, purchase orders, and letters.

• Being a Local Leader: This can include being present at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and greeting dignitaries from neighboring areas. The mayor may be asked to speak at events like potlucks or local graduation ceremonies.

• Having Veto Power: The mayor may veto new town ordinances at their discretion. They may refute a motion or resolution. 

By performing these basic duties, a small-town mayor can make a big difference in their community. 

A Mayor’s Administrative Responsibilities

A small-town mayor often assumes the role of city manager. General duties include hiring new staff, suspending city employees as necessary, and providing training for new staff members. Fair and appropriate use of executive power is expected when making these decisions. Failure to do so could result in high turnover rates and low employee morale. The mayor must act to maintain good relationships with staff members and earn public trust.

Other basic administrative tasks include working with local law enforcement. This can look like ensuring equity and fairness in policing, as well as coordinating with law enforcement when emergency responses are needed.

In addition, small-town mayors develop town budgets with the town treasurer and clerk. Mayors may hold public meetings with local residents and inform them of any changes to funding for services and programs. Doing so demonstrates good municipal leadership at the local level.

In all of these areas, mayors can shape the direction of their small town, leading the way toward prosperity, economic growth, and community well-being.

The Qualifications of a Small-Town Mayor

Running for mayor in a small town can be an important step in your political career. Candidates must meet certain requirements to be able to run for office. 

In most towns, the minimum age required to serve as mayor is 18. Most towns have a minimum residency requirement of one year prior to running for office. Once elected, the mayor must remain in that town for the duration of their term. Some areas may also have educational requirements for mayoral candidates, such as a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree.

Different towns and states have different eligibility requirements, so it’s important to check your local government’s website for the most accurate list of qualifications. You can also use our election look-up tool to find upcoming mayoral elections and the qualifications needed to run for office in your community.

How Much Does It Cost to Run for Mayor?

The average cost to run for mayor in a small town ranges from about $1,000 to $10,000. 

Costs may include filing fees, along with the cost of campaign advertising, promotional materials, and event planning. Some campaigns may also benefit from hiring campaign staff members, though not every campaign needs to do so.

There are plenty of ways that local candidates in small towns can reduce the costs of running for office. 

Here are a few cost-saving strategies to get you started:

• Mobilize Volunteers: Build a network of local volunteers who are excited about your campaign and who are willing to assist with campaign activities. Volunteers can assist with door-to-door canvassing, event planning, phone banking, and more.

• Spread the Word on Social Media: Social media can be a cost-effective way to spread the word about your campaign. With the right social media accounts, you can communicate important information to voters and community members at no cost to you.

• Take Advantage of Free Tools: There are free tools and resources available for local political candidates. GoodParty.org offers free campaign software and consultations for independent, non-partisan, and third-party candidates. These can help you cut costs while gaining a competitive advantage.

• Get Creative: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! There may be cost-effective solutions that are unique to your town, campaign, or constituency.

Running for the Local Mayor’s Office

A successful small-town mayoral campaign is best carried out using grassroots strategies. That means prioritizing the people you hope to serve, not big donors, unions, or special interests. It means building support from the ground up, and running a transparent and respectful campaign.

Follow these tips for a successful mayoral campaign:

• Do Your Research: If you’re running for mayor in a small town, you may start out thinking that you already know everything there is to know about your town. Don’t be deceived; doing your research and approaching your campaign with an open mind are still important. Getting access to your town’s voter file can go a long way toward understanding your voters and refining your campaign strategy.

• Make Real-Life Connections: One of the advantages of running for office in a small town is the ability to potentially interact with every voter in your community. Door-to-door canvassing is often an effective way to connect with voters at this local level. Remember that even if you’ve met certain people before — or even known them for years — it’s still important to make a good first impression as a political candidate.

• Get Out the Vote: In small towns, local elections can come down to a small handful of votes. Keep this in mind as you share information about when, where, and how to vote on election day. Encourage supporters to turn out to vote, even if they haven’t participated in elections in recent years.

Demonstrating strong leadership skills during your campaign is a sign to voters that you’ll be a good leader in office. The same holds true for strong organizational skills and a willingness to listen to voters. You can think of every step along the campaign trail as a trial run for serving in office.

What Makes Small-Town Elections Different?

As you look for tips and advice on running for mayor, keep in mind that mayoral elections can look quite different in small towns and larger cities.

One of the major differences comes down to the typical number of candidates. According to a 2017 study by the Center for Local Elections in American Politics, there is a strong correlation between the size of a city and the number of mayoral candidates. Towns with fewer than 500 residents had an average of 1.2 mayoral candidates. Towns with 500 - 2,500 residents had an average of 1.6; cities with 2,500 - 10,000 residents had an average of 2; cities with 10,000 - 50,000 residents had an average of 2.5; and cities with over 50,000 residents had an average of 3.5 mayoral candidates.

Similarly, the study found that smaller towns have higher rates of unopposed mayoral races. Towns with fewer than 500 residents had unopposed elections 73.3% of the time. Compare that to 53% of the time for towns with 500 - 2,500 residents; 40.3% of the time for cities with 2,500 - 10,000 residents; 27.8% of the time for cities with 10,000 - 50,000 residents; and 15.2% of the time for cities with over 50,000 residents.

To put it simply, the smaller the town, the more likely it is that only one candidate’s name will appear on the ballot for mayor. Most of the time, these unopposed candidates are also incumbents, meaning they have already spent years in office. This means that voters lack any real choice at the ballot box. 

Unopposed elections stifle progress and keep communities from moving forward. Stepping up to run for office against an unchallenged incumbent is a powerful way to stand up for your community and make a difference.

Free Tools for Independent Mayoral Candidates

Are you running for mayor in a small town or getting ready to launch your campaign? GoodParty.org offers free and low-cost campaign tools and resources for independent, non-partisan, and third-party candidates across the United States.

Our offerings include:

• AI campaign content generators

• Voter data and insights

• SMS messaging support

• Free campaign consultations

• Access to a nationwide community of independent candidates

Want to learn more and see how GoodParty.org’s tools can give your campaign the boost it needs? Book a meeting with a member of our team today, or get started exploring our campaign tools right away.

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash