Number of Washington
State Cities Using Each Form of Government
Most
Cities are Classified as Code Cities
Three Quarters of Code Cities
(227/54) Use the Mayor/Council Form
Retrieved 12/8/22 from:
https://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Governance/Forms-of-Government-and-Organization/City-and-Town-Forms-of-Government.aspx#number
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Cities Changing
Form of Government Since 1970,
The Year the
Council/Manager Option First Became Available,
So a
Rush for Something New
Note the cities that reverted back to Mayor/Council.
Other cites that changed to Mayor/Council were
originally incorporated as Council/Manager, together a
significant number.
Retrieved 12/9/22 from:
https://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Governance/Forms-of-Government-and-Organization/City-and-Town-Forms-of-Government.aspx#list
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MRSC Document:
Common Issues and Pro/Con Arguments in Elections to Change
Form of Government
"Arguments Against the
Council-Manager Form
Critics of the council-manager plan
argue the following:
The council-manager form gives too
much power to one person - the city manager.
A professional
manager, often chosen from outside the city, does not know
the community and is too far from the voters.
Councils
may leave too much decision making to the manager, who is
not directly accountable to the public.
Without an elected
chief executive, the community lacks political leadership.
The council-manager form is too much
like a business corporation which is not suitable for
managing community needs.
City managers
cost too much, local people could handle the job for less
cost.
Citizens may be confused about who is
in charge. Most expect the mayor to respond to their
problems. The mayor has no direct control over the delivery
of services and can only change policy through the city
council.
City managers may leave a city when
offered higher salaries and greater responsibilities."
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Which Form Of
City Government Is Best?
The Mayor/Council form of city government has
a balance of power between the executive (mayor) and
legislative (council) branches, whereas the
Council/Manager form of city government "is too much
like a business corporation which is not suitable for
managing community needs." Also, "without an elected
chief executive, the community lacks political
leadership." (Both
quotes Municipal Research and Service Center).
Additionally, the
Common Good principle of
subsidiarity is weakened by the bureaucratization of
city government, effected by moving decision making
authority from elected officials to staff (mayor to
manager).
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MRSC Document:
Commentary: The Unofficial Role of the Administrator
"Many
communities, looking for the benefits of professional
management without the requirement of going through a
formal election to change the form of government, have
chosen to create a position similar to that of a city
manager, but under the authority of the mayor. The
resulting hybrid form of government is often described
as being “the best of both worlds” that includes elected
leadership with professional management of day-to-day
local operations. Having worked in such a position for
nearly my entire professional career in local
government, I can answer the question “Is it truly the
best of both worlds?” without the slightest sense of
irony or hesitation: “yes and no.” "
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