WHAT IS COUNCIL-MANAGER GOVERNMENT?
The council-manager form of local government combines strong political leadership (elected mayor and council or other governing body) with the professional experience of an appointed manager or administrator.
Local Government That Works: The Council-Manager Form of Government (download this video)
Under the council-manager form, governing authority is vested in the elected governing body (often a council), which hires a professional administrator to implement its policies. These highly trained, experienced individuals serve at the pleasure of the elected governing body and have responsibility for preparing the budget, directing day-to-day operations, hiring and firing personnel, and serving as the council's chief policy advisor.
BROCHURES
- Council-Manager Form of Government: What it is, how it works, and the benefits to your community
- Professional County Management: The Benefits to Your County
VALUE OF THE COUNCIL-MANAGER PLAN
ICMA promotes professional management in all forms of local government, and recommends council-manager as the preferred structure for best-in-class run communities. These resources will assist community members (residents, elected officials, and business leaders) better understand the value that professional management brings to our local governments - cities, towns, and counties.
- Video: Council-Manager Form of Government Works Best
- Article: How Professionals Can Add Value to Their Communities and Organizations
- Checklist: Questionnaire for Determining Value of Professional Administrator/Manager
- Article: The Mayor-Manager Conundrum That Wasn't
- Video: Jim Collins on the Value Proposition of Council-Manager Government
BENEFITS OF COUNCIL-MANAGER RUN COMMUNITIES
- Article: Taking Stock of the Council-Manager Form at 100
- Blog Post: Professionally Managed Communities Dominate List of Healthiest for 2019
- Article: Professional Management Drives Local Government Efficiency and Effectiveness
- Blog Post: Professional Management, Council-Manager Government Sweep List of All-America Cities Finalists
- Study: Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: An Operations Efficiency Benchmarking Study of 100 American Cities
- Article: CNN-Money Magazine 100 Best Places to Live with Form of Government and ICMA Member
- Article: Study Confirms Council-Manager Governments Are More Ethical
RESEARCH DATA AND METRICS
- Survey Results: ICMA 2018 Municipal Form of Government Survey
- Snapshot: Municipal Form of Government Research Snapshot
- Statistics: Form of Government Statistics - Counties (2014)
- Documentary: All the Queen's Horses
For more information on professional local government management or the council-manager form, contact rcarty@icma.org.
