More on mayors...

Cities in the United States are sometimes categorized as having either "weak" and "strong" mayors. Most "strong" mayors are in the mayor-council form of government, and are directly elected by citizens to that office. Most "weak" mayors are mayors in a council-manager form, and are elected by and from the council.

The distinction is in the level of political power and administrative authority provided by the city charter to the mayor. In actual practice, there is no sharp line between "weak" and "strong" mayors. Rather there are continua of authority and power, along which cities are spread.

Yet, it is useful to contrast the differences.

Characteristics of a "weak" mayor:

• The council is powerful, with both legislative and executive authority
• The mayor is not truly the chief executive, with limited power and/or no veto power
• The council can prevent the mayor from effectively supervising city administration
• There may be many administrative boards and commissions that operate independently from the city government

Characteristics of a "strong" mayor: