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Bookmark or Share- City and Town Forms of Government - MRSCThe city manager provides policy advice, directs the daily operations of city government, handles personnel functions (including the power to appoint and remove employees) and is responsible for preparing the city budget. Under the council-manager statutes, the city council is prohibited from interfering with the manager's administration.
- Holding Two Public Offices: The Doctrine of Incompatible OfficesDeciding whether a position is an office is sometimes easy. For example, by statute the mayor and councilmembers of a code city are officers, as are the appointive positions of city clerk and chief law enforcement officer (see RCW 35A.12.010-.020). Per RCW 35A.13.010, a city manager is also an officer.
- MRSC - Balance of Power Struggles in City GovernmentOnly city councils have the authority to contract (RCW 35A.11.010; RCW 35A. 11.020; RCW 35.23.440), although councils commonly delegate some of this authority to department heads, the city manager, or the mayor. See for example: Spokane Valley’s delegation to the city manager to enter into contracts that do not exceed $200,000, and
- Who’s the Boss? Separation of Powers in Local GovernmentWell, it depends, and the roles may have some overlap. For day-to-day operations and policy implementation in towns and cities, the mayor or city manager is the boss and leads the agency, all under the guidance of legislation put forth by the town or city council. Counties may have elected or appointed executives overseeing day-to-day operations.
- Knowing Your Roles: City and Town Governments - MRSCThe focus of Congress, the state legislature, or a city/town council is policymaking. A municipal court exercises judicial functions, although in a more limited way than the state or federal courts, and the mayor (or manager) heads the executive branch of municipal government much like the president and governor head the federal and state executive branches, respectively.
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