Under the "separation of powers doctrine," each of the three branches exercises certain defined powers, free from unreasonable interference by the others, yet all three branches interact with each other as part of a checks and balances system.
The powers of these branches in city government are defined for the most part by state statute Ch. The council has the power to enact laws and policies, consistent with state law, regulating local and municipal affairs, usually through the enactment of ordinances and resolutions.
In general, the council's authority also includes the specific authority to:. In addition, the council is authorized to enact rules governing its procedures, including for public meetings and hearings.
The mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer of the city in charge of carrying out the policies set by the council and seeing to it that local laws are enforced. The mayor or manager in a council-manager city is basically in charge of the day-to-day operations of the city, including the supervision of all appointive officers and employees in the performance of their official functions.
The mayor is in charge of hiring and firing all appointive officers and employees, subject, where applicable, to laws regarding civil service. Councils have some authority to require confirmation of the appointment of certain officials except for town councils but do not require confirmation of firings by the mayor.
Consistent with the separation of powers doctrine, the council is not authorized to interfere with the administration of city government. Councilmembers may not give orders to department heads or to other city employees. In council-manager cities, this prohibition is established statutorily; the council must deal with the city manager concerning matters of city administration. Under the city manager's direction and "for the purpose of inquiry, the council may deal directly with officers and employees.
Of course, things do not always run smoothly between the council and the city administration, and the line between policy and administration may in some situations be blurred and imprecise.
This section will explore two areas in which disagreements often arise. The remedy for some of these situations may be to review the respective roles of the mayor and the council and to understand the limitations of their respective authorities.
The others are mayor-council , council-manager , city commission and open town meeting. The representative town meeting form of government is largely found in New England towns. The representative town meeting addresses some of the challenges present in the open town meeting form. Open town meetings provide a structure of participatory democracy. They permit voters a direct say in the town's priorities and how it is run.
The structure has a deep historical tradition and has worked well for some small localities. When residents are well informed and care about the issues, and a large enough number of voters attend meetings to be representative of the town, the aim of the structure is fulfilled. However, in some cases voter attendance at town meetings is low. Residents that do attend may be one-issue oriented or have special interests. In this case, the structure is no longer providing participatory or representative democracy.
Low attendance also takes away an important means of checks and balances on the executive officials. Representative town meetings attempt to strike a balance between the ideals of participatory and representative democracy.
By having elected voters from each precinct there is a greater chance of having a true representation of the town at the meetings. This also helps prevent special interests or single issues from dominating a meeting. Electing representatives can actually boost meeting attendance, and meeting members are more likely to form committees and formulate legislation than an open town meeting.
Visit the ICMA Priorities page to learn what makes a better leader and how you might improve your local community. County governments can adopt the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system of government to carry out their functions, which usually include the work of the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer.
Municipal governments can use the mayor-council system or the council-manager system and manage services such as the provision of clean water, park maintenance, and local law enforcement. Cities and counties both rely on tax revenues, especially property taxes, to fund their provision of services. They maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums. In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection.
Council of State Governments. The Book of the States. Elazar, Daniel. American Federalism: A View from the States , 2nd ed. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. Rosenthal, Alan. Wright, Ralph. Inside the Statehouse: Lessons from the Speaker. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Module State and Local Government. Search for:.
County and City Government Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Identify the differences between county and municipal governments in terms of their responsibilities and funding sources Describe the two primary types of municipal government and the three basic types of county government. Practice Questions What are the primary responsibilities of municipal governments? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having so many levels of subnational governments in the United States?
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