What is the role of a mayor?

In municipalities of less than 12,000 inhabitants, the mayor also presides over council meetings and serves as a member of the council. In these cities and towns, the mayor may vote on any issue before the council, introduce measures, and participate in debates to the same extent as members of the council.

Constituents may elect a mayor to their position directly, through a process that commonly includes primary elections and a general election. Election rules may separate primaries by a party or run an open primary for all candidates regardless of affiliation.

In other locations, commonly in weak-mayor structures, the town council may appoint the mayor, with the selected mayor often being a member of the council. The responsibilities of a mayor vary based on the structure of their local government and the size of their constituency. Common responsibilities for a mayor include:

• Attending town council meetings and proposing and debating initiatives

• Casting votes, potentially in a tie-breaking capacity, at town council meetings

• Speaking with constituents at meetings, in their office, or in public, answering questions, and listening to concerns

• Overseeing public service departments and ensuring they are operating effectively

• Completing administrative tasks related to the daily operations of the local government

• Approving press releases, speaking with journalists, leading press conferences, and completing other media availability tasks

• Representing the town at meetings with officials of other government entities

• Examining the proposed budget and approving any final spending order

• Appointing staff to government positions such as city attorney, city secretary, and other unelected positions

• Attending public events in an official capacity