The City has a Council-Manager form of government.
The City Council is comprised of a seven member Council. All
Council Members serve four-year staggered terms. Every other odd year four
at-large members are elected to the council. Every other alternate odd year
three ward members are elected to the council. The City Council then elects
the Major from within the seven council members. The Mayor is also a council
member and may be either a ward member or at-large. A new Mayor is elected at
every odd year election. All elections are on a non-partisan basis. The
Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney.
The Mayor presides over the Council meetings and has full
voting privileges. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the
City. City departments are responsible to the City Manager for the provision of
public services.
The Council-Manager Form of Government
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. The 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.
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“The objective of the council-manager plan is to take “politics” out
of city government by turning over its administration to a professional
manager. This plan developed in the Progressive movement as a response to the
influence of parties and party politicians over city government under the
mayor-council plan. Critics said that there is nothing political about
cleaning streets, picking up garbage, building parks, and so forth, and
believed that the system could be effectively run by a professional taking
general directions from and elected city council. If the members of the
council are elected in non-partisan elections, the influence of party
politics is even further reduced. Most cities in Michigan have this form and
range all over the state, from Monroe and St. Joseph, to Traverse City, East Lansing, Escanaba and Sault Ste. Marie.”
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~Michigan Local Government Structure, Services and
Practices
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A Responsive Form of Government
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 council to carry out policy and
ensure that the entire community is being served.
The Council’s Function
The council is the legislative body; its members are the
community’s decision makers. Power is centralized in the elected council, for
example, they approve the budget and amend ordinances, etc. The 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 council hires a
professional manager to carry out the administrative responsibilities and
supervises the manager’s performance.
The Manager’s Function
The manager is hired to serve the council and the community
and to bring to the local government the benefits of training and experience in
administering local government projects and programs on behalf of the governing
body. The manager prepares a budget for the council’s consideration; recruits,
hires, and supervises the government’s staff; serves as the council’s chief
adviser; and carries out the council’s policies. Council members and citizens
count on the manager to provide complete and objective information, pros and
cons of alternatives, and long-term consequences.
The Mayor's Function
Mayors in council-manager communities (or chairpersons in
counties) are key political leaders and policy developers. In the case of the
council, the mayor is responsible for soliciting citizen views in forming these
policies and interpreting them to the public. The mayor presides at council
meetings, serves as a spokesperson for the community, facilitates communication
and understanding between elected and appointed officials, assists the council
in setting goals and advocating policy decisions, and serves as a promoter and
defender of the community. In addition, the mayor serves as a key
representative in intergovernmental relations. The mayor, council, and manager
constitute a policy-development and management team.
