This is the form of government that has been used in Columbia since May 1949. Elected members of the council appoint the city manager, who works full time under their direction, handling the daily affairs of the city.
The council — composed of a representative for each of the six wards and the mayor — is responsible for making policy. In Columbia, the manager’s powers include hiring and firing city employees, preparing policy recommendations and the budget for presentation to the council and informing the council of the city’s fiscal status.
The council/manager form of government was first used in Staunton, Va., in 1908, and is the most common form of government in cities with populations of more than 5,000, according to the International City/County Management Association. Other cities in Missouri that use this form include Kirksville and Kansas City.
The mayor and the council are all elected officials. Eighty percent of Missouri cities use some form of mayor/council government, most of them small towns.
There are two major variations of this form: the strong mayor and the weak mayor.
The weak-mayor government is most common in small towns. All the mayor’s nominations must be council-approved, and the council retains control over the city budget.
St. Louis has a strong-mayor form of government, in which most powers rest in the mayor’s hands. The mayor has power over appointed officials, usually without council approval. The mayor also prepares the budget, though it must be approved by the council in most cities with this system. In some strong-mayor city governments, the mayor may appoint a chief administrative officer, who reports only to the mayor.
Although the mayoral and council/manager systems are most prevalent, they aren’t alone. The oldest form of local government is a panel of elected officials with equal power. These commissions are usually responsible for the budget and ordinances. In Missouri, villages of fewer than 500 residents are required to have a board government.
Some communities adopt a town-meeting style, in which all residents gather periodically to make policy decisions and sometimes to elect a board of officers, called selectmen, to carry out the policy. This style of government is found mostly in New England.
Sources: Local Government Citizen Education Clearing House; www.wordiq.com; Columbia City Charter; Official Manual: State of Missouri 2003-2004, International City/County Management Association