CouncilManagerFormofGovernment

WhatistheCouncilManagerFormofGovernment?

TheCouncilManagerformofgovernmentcombinesthepoliticalleadershipofelectedofficialsandtheadministrativeexperienceofamanager.

Themayorandmembersofcitycouncilsetpolicyandhireanonpartisanmanagerwhohasbroadauthoritytoadministratethecity.

WhatistheCouncilManagerFormofGovernment?

Thecouncilmanagersystemwasdesignedtocombatcorruptioninlocalgovernmentbypromotingeffectivemanagementwithtransparencyandaccountability.

Sinceitsestablishment,thecouncilmanagersystemhasbecomethemostpopularstructureoflocalgovernmentintheU.S.andisalsowidelyusedinothercountriessuchasCanada,Australia,theNetherlands,NewZealand,andtheUnitedKingdom.

Hickory,NCAPioneeroftheCouncilManagerSystemSecondonlytoStaunton,VAinthenation,HickorywasthefirstcityinNorthCarolinatocreateandexercisetheCouncilManagersystem.

TheHistory OnSt.Patrick'sDay,March17,1913,97percentofHickory's565registeredvoterscasttheirballots.

291citizensvotedforanewcitycharterand256votedagainstit.ItwasthelargestvoterturnouteverinHickory.

Byamarginofonly35votes,HickorybecamethefirstcityinNorthCarolinaandsecondinthenationtoadoptthecouncilmanagerformofgovernment.

ALookBack

EXTRAEXTRAQuotesfromlocalnewspapersin1913

It is stated by some that Hickory is too small a town to adopt this form of government. Is any business too small to be scientifically and economically managed?

There can certainly be no reasons advanced against a proposition that aims to apply the same standards to the citys business that is now applied to private business.

It provides an ear in the city government into which the people can directly shout their complaints. One can go direct to the City Manager and get information without being referred to one and another.

Ask any successful business man what is the keynote of success, and he will unhesitatingly say the man behind the business to do the pushing, and the Board of Directors behind the man to see that he not only does the pushing, but pushes in the rightdirection.

16ManagershaveservedthecitizensofHickoryinthelastcentury.

GeorgeWooten,CityManager1913

MickBerry,CityManager,2013

CouncilManagerSystemToday In2007,morethan3,500(49percent)ofthe7,171U.S.citiesandtownswithpopulationsof2,500residentsormoreoperatedunderthecouncilmanagerform.Thisstructureisalsousedbymorethan370counties.Morethan92millionpeopleintheU.S.liveincommunitiesthatoperateunderthisform.

Ofthe247U.S.citieswithpopulationsgreaterthan100,000residents,144(58percent)usethisformofgovernment.

TheFormofGovernmentinthe ThirtyMostPopulousCities

1 NewYork MayorCouncil2 LosAngeles MayorCouncil3 Chicago MayorCouncil4 Houston MayorCouncil5 Philadelphia MayorCouncil6 Phoenix CouncilManager7 SanAntonio CouncilManager8SanDiego MayorCouncil9Dallas CouncilManager10SanJose CouncilManager11Indianapolis MayorCouncil12Jacksonville MayorCouncil13SanFrancisco MayorCouncil14Austin CouncilManager15Columbus MayorCouncil

16FortWorth CouncilManager17Louisville MayorCouncil18Charlotte CouncilManager19Detroit MayorCouncil20ElPaso CouncilManager21Memphis MayorCouncil22Nashville MayorCouncil23Baltimore MayorCouncil24Boston MayorCouncil25Seattle MayorCouncil26WashingtonDC MayorCouncil27Denver MayorCouncil28Milwaukee MayorCouncil29Portland Commission30LasVegas CouncilManager

TheCouncilManagerSysteminNorthCarolina

Since1970thecouncilmanagerformhascontinuedtospreadinNorthCarolina.

Nearlyallcitieswithover10,000citizensandmanywithlowerpopulationsusethecouncilmanagerform.

About99ofNorthCarolinascountiescurrentlyhaveamanager(thenumbervariesslightlyfromyeartoyear)