The Mayor's role and
responsibilities
The question has come up a number of
times about the roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Mayor. Many
friends and supporters have asked if it is a full-time job, while others have
asked if you even get paid as the Mayor or a member of the City Council. We
thought we would address these questions and really look at the roles and
responsibilities of the Mayor and the City Council of Wylie, Texas
Many years ago, Wylie, Texas adopted
the council-manager form of government. This system of government is used in the
majority of American cities with populations over 12,000.
Below is the explanation of this
type of government from Wylie's City Charter:
"The municipal government
provided in this Charter shall be known as the council-manager form of
government. Under its provisions, the city council, consisting of the mayor and
councilmen elected by and responsible to the people, shall appoint a city
manager (who shall be responsible to the city council for the administration of
the government of the city).
All powers of the city shall be
vested in the city council and shall be exercised in the manner prescribed by
this Charter, or if the manner not be prescribed, then in such manner as may be
prescribed by ordinance, the state constitution or the statutes of this state."
The council-manager form is the
system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of
elected officials in the form of a council or other governing body, with the
strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager.
This form
establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the
elected council and where the council hires a professionally trained manager to
oversee the delivery of public services. In Wylie, a seven-member Mayor and
Council are elected at-large in non-partisan elections. Their terms are for
three years.
In council-manager government, council members are the leaders and
policy makers elected to represent various segments of the community and to
concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens' needs and wishes.
The manager is appointed by the Mayor and Council to carry out policy and ensure
that the entire community is being served.
Wylie's City Charter goes on to
state specific roles and responsibilities for the Mayor and Council members:
Duties of the Mayor:
The mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the city government for
all ceremonial purposes and by the governor for purposes of military law but
shall have no administrative duties. He shall be the chairman and shall preside
at all meetings of the city council. The mayor shall vote on all propositions
before the city council, but shall have no power to veto. He shall, when
authorized by the city council, sign all official documents, such as ordinances,
resolutions, conveyances, grant agreements, official plats, contracts, and
bonds.
Powers of the City Council:
All powers of the city shall be
vested in the city council, except as otherwise provided by law or this Charter.
The city council shall provide for the exercise thereof and the performance of
all duties and obligations imposed upon the city by law.
Prohibitions:
-
Holding Other Office:
Except where authorized by law, no mayor or councilman shall hold any other
city office or city employment during his term as mayor or councilman, and
no former mayor or councilman shall hold any compensated appointive city
office or city employment until one year after the expiration of his term as
mayor or councilman.
-
Appointments and Removals:
Neither the city council nor any of its members shall in any manner dictate
the appointment or removal of any city administrative officers or employees
whom the city manager or any of his subordinates are empowered to appoint,
but the city council, at a meeting called for that purpose, may express its
views and fully and freely discuss with the city manager anything pertaining
to appointment and removal of such officers and employees.
-
Interference With
Administration: Except for the purpose of inquiries and investigations
as provided by this Charter, the city council or its members shall deal with
city officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision
of the city manager solely through the city manager, and neither the city
council nor its members shall give orders to any such officer or employee,
either publicly or privately, except as otherwise provided in this Charter.
The Mayor and Council is the
legislative body; its members are the community's decision makers. Power is
centralized in the elected Mayor and Council, which approves the budget and
determines the tax rate, for example. The Mayor and Council also focuses on the
community's goals, major projects, and such long-term considerations as
community growth, land use development, capital improvement plans, capital
financing, and strategic planning. The Mayor and Council hire a professional
city manager to carry out the administrative responsibilities and supervise the
manager's performance.
The Mayor gets a stipend (salary) of
$400.00 per month and each council member gets $250.00 per month
The Promise of Wylie
is insuring that tomorrow is a brighter and better day for Wylie; and that we
have planned and prepared for a successful and productive future for all our
citizens.
