What is Strong-Mayor System?

A strong-mayor system is a type of mayor–council government in which the mayor has significant executive power. In this system, the mayor functions much like a governor or president at the local level, with broad authority to run the city’s day-to-day operations.

In a strong-mayor system, the mayor typically has the power to:

• Oversee and direct city departments

• Prepare and propose the city budget

• Hire and fire department heads

• Veto ordinances passed by the city council

• Enforce city laws and set administrative priorities

The city council still provides checks and balances by passing ordinances, approving budgets, and representing constituents, but the mayor has more control over administration and policy implementation.

Strong-mayor governments are often used in larger cities that require the local government to have centralized leadership to manage complex services and departments. Some cities long recognized for having strong-mayor systems include New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. A city’s charter outlines the mayor’s powers and how they interact with the council.