
ICMA's origins lie in the council-manager form of local government, which combines the strong political leadership of elected officials (in the form of a council, board, or other governing body) with the strong professional experience of an appointed local government manager or administrator.
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.
ICMA actively promotes the council-manager form as the preferred structure and supports professional management in all forms of local government.
These articles, statistics, and resources have been assembled to assist community residents, elected officials, and business leaders gain a better understanding of the value that professional management brings to our cities, towns, and counties. Use these materials as part of your council-manager form adoption and retention efforts. For more information on professional local government management or the council-manager form, contact rcarty@icma.org.
BACKGROUND
- Video: Local Government That Works: The Council-Manager Form of Government
- Brochure: Council-Manager Form of Government: What it is, how it works, and the benefits to your community (brochure)
- Article: Taking Stock of the Council-Manager Form at 100
- Video: The Value Proposition of Council-Manager Government
VALUE OF THE PROFESSION
- Brochure: Professional County Management: The Benefits to Your County
- 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
EFFICIENCY/FISCAL/QUALITY-OF-LIFE SUPERIORITY
- 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
RESEARCH, DATA, AND STATISTICS