TEXT 1. PART 1: Mayor-Council vs. Council-Manager: two forms of self-government

The Basic Position and Argument

Mayor-Council

Those who speak in favor of a Mayor-Council form of government emphasize the importance of the mayor as the city's chief executive. As the city's chief executive, the mayor formulates the budget, recommends policy and oversees, usually along with an administrative aide, the day-to-day administration of city programs. The mayor also appoints and removes department heads. The voters know what to expect from their elected mayor and they see the benefit of having a mayor who is an accountable leader. The mayor in turn needs to respond to the voters, as a public figure, and should be available and open to their opinions. It is the voters who have by their direct participatory involvement elected this one particular person as their city's leader and who then is accountable to them. Proponents also state that, traditionally, the favored form of city government has been the Mayor-Council form. They also claim that mayors with real authoritative power have more influence at the state level and are thus more effective at bringing in state money.

Council-Manager

Those who speak in favor of a Council-Manager form of government seek efficiency and economy in delivering public services, often taking as their model the corporate board with its administrative director. Supporters of this form of government argue that providing basic public services is a complex, professional process and should therefore not be vulnerable to political influences. The purpose then of the Council-Manager system is to take politics out of city administration. The political dimension of this system resides in an elected council, which is responsible for the hiring and firing of the city manager. This city manager is expected to be a politically neutral and a skilled professional dedicated to providing excellence in the management and delivery of public services. Proponents state that the council-manager form is fast becoming the most popular form of government in cities of a certain size. They also stress that city managers, as professionals, are experts in money management and have the added advantage of a network of other professionals when advice is needed. Let us look at some of the more specific issues and counter arguments that follow from the two opposing options about city government.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 840