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City Council/Manager Form of Government

The Council/Manager form of government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed manager.

MAJOR FEATURES
City Council
· It functions as a parliamentary system whereby all power is concentrated within the elected Council with a principal elected official, usually the Mayor, assuming a symbolic, coordinating and activist leadership role.
· Members of City Council do not perform this function on a fulltime basis and typically receive little or no compensation for what is considered volunteer service to the community.
· The number of members on a City Council can range from six to 13 members, depending on the size of the community.
· Often, some or all members of City Council are elected to represent specific areas - known as wards or districts - within a community.
· The Mayor is still perceived as the most visible leader for a community under this form of government.
· The Mayor fulfills two vital functions: Consensus building among members of Council and their representatives; and in guiding the development and implementation of policies.

City Manager
· The appointed professional manager functions like a business organization’s chief executive - administering the daily operations for the City under the guidance of City Council.
· The City Manager has a professional staff that, under his/her guidance, provides the services and implements the policies adopted by the elected Council.
· This appointee is responsible for preparing the community’s budget, directing day-to-day operations, hiring and firing personnel, and provides complete and objective information to Council on issues as they arise.
· The City Manager is selected by the City Council based on his/her education, training and relevant managerial experience.
· City Managers serve at the pleasure of the City Council, must respond to citizens, and are dedicated to the highest ideals of honesty and integrity.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
· The City Council/Manager form of government is a system of representative democracy. Elected officials and appointed managers must reach out to citizens via community surveys and interaction with residents across the community to ensure that all enacted policies represent the betterment of the community as a whole.
· Citizen involvement is often widespread in communities that have adopted this form of government, through processes such as visioning to community-oriented local services.

STATISTICS
· Evolving from the turn of the 20th Century progressive reform movement, the Council/Manager form of government is one of the few original American contributions to political theory. The first large city to adopt it was Dayton, Ohio in 1914.
· More than 75.5 million individuals live in communities that operate under the City Council/Manager form of government.
· On average, 63 communities per year have adopted this form of government over the last 16 years.
· The Council/Manager form of government is now the most popular system for communities with populations of 5,000 or more.
· A significant benefit that often arises from this form of government is a reduction in overall costs for running a community through increased efficiency and improved revenue collection.

ICMA
· The International City/County Management Association, known as ICMA, assists appointed managers and administrators in the provision of quality public services.
· ICMA has a Code of Ethics, providing its members with a set of professional standards that exceed those required by law.
The Code of Ethics is enforced by a peer-review-process to monitor and investigate complaints, making recommendations on action to be taken for violations.

Source: ICMA Web Site