What is Mayor-Council Government?

Mayor-council government is a common form of local government in the United States, where control is shared between an elected mayor and an elected city council. It resembles the way power is separated in our federal government: the mayor serves as the executive, and the council serves as the legislative body. Voters elect both, and each has separate responsibilities.

In this system, the mayor is responsible for carrying out city laws, overseeing departments, preparing budgets, and managing day-to-day administration. The city council passes ordinances, approves budgets, and represents the interests of residents in different districts or neighborhoods.

Mayor-council governments can function in two main ways, depending on how much authority the mayor has:

• A strong-mayor system, where the mayor serves as a powerful chief executive

• A weak-mayor system, where the mayor’s powers are more limited and the council plays a larger role

Many large and mid-sized U.S. cities use some form of mayor-council government. The exact powers are typically spelled out in the city’s charter, which determines how authority is divided.