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RESEARCH TOOLS › MRSC Index › General Government - Council-manager form of government

MRSC Index A topical index to MRSC's information resources.

General Government: G 2.4000 - Council-manager form of government

Expand Section Electronic Documents (2 Results)

Expand Section Paper Documents (4 Results)

  1. The origin of the city manager plan in Staunton, Virginia
    Request this document | Document Date: 1/1/54
    Jurisdiction: Other State

  2. "The manager as political leader," by John Nalbandian. National Civic Review, Spring 2001, pp. 63-73
    Request this document | Document Date: 03/01

  3. "Evolution and change characterize council-manager government," by Bill Hansell. Public Management, August 2000,
    Request this document | Document Date: 08/00

  4. Redmond Governance Study. Citizen's Committee Final Report, prepared by Cedar River Group, August 2002, 13 p.
    Request this document | Document Date: 08/02
    Jurisdiction: Redmond

Expand Section MRSC Library Catalog Documents

Expand Section Featured Inquiries (3 Results)

  1. Which council-manager cities directly elect their mayor?
    As far as we are aware, only three of the 53 council-manager cities in the state provide for the direct election of the mayor by the people; Olympia, Vancouver and Tacoma.   It is possible that there are a few others, but direct election of the mayor is the exception rather than the rule.  Seattle and Vancouver are first class cities and Olympia is a code city.

  2. Is there a procedure required for selection of mayor in a council-manager code city?

    No. There is no specific procedure required for the election of a mayor in a council-manager code city. RCW 35A.13.030 states that "biennially at the first meeting of the new council the members thereof shall choose a chairman from among their number. . ." The city could adopt its own specific procedures for this selection or could simply choose a chairman/mayor by majority vote.



  3. What are the major characteristics of the council-manager form of government?

    The council-manager form consists of an elected city council which is responsible for policy making, and a professional city manager, appointed by the council, who is responsible for administration. The city manager provides policy advice, directs the daily operations of city government, handles personnel functions (including the power to appoint and remove employees) and is responsible for preparation of a budget. Under the council-manager enabling law, the city council is prohibited from interfering with the manager's administration. The city manager, however, is directly accountable to, and can be removed by the council at any time.

    The mayor in council-manager cities is selected by the city council from among its members. The charter of an optional municipal code city or first class city may provide for the mayor to be directly elected by the people. The mayor generally presides at council meetings and is recognized as the head of the city for ceremonial purposes, but has no regular administrative duties.



Expand Section Subject Pages (4 Results)

  1. Washington Cities Incorporating Under, Adopting or Abandoning the Council-Manager Form of Government From 1970 - 2003
    Washington Cities Incorporating Under, Adopting or Abandoning the Council-Manager Form of Government From 1970 - 2009
  2. Plans of Government Available to Code Cities
    Plans of Government Available to Code Cities (Excerpt from Code City Handbook, MRSC Report No. 37, December 1996)
  3. Comparing/Contrasting the Mayor-Council and Council-Manager Forms of Government
    This page compares and contrasts mayor-council and council-manager forms of government by characteristics
  4. Trends in Forms of Government in Washington Cities
    Trends in Forms of Government in Washington Cities (From: Municipal Research News, MRSC, December 1991)