Editing Council–manager government (section)

==Overview==
The council-manager system is similar to the typical governance of a [[Public company|publicly traded corporation]].<ref>[http://support.orcities.org/Portals/5/ICMA%20Why%20Local%20Government.pdf Local Government Management, ICMA]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Under the form, an elected governing body, usually called a [[city council]], board of [[aldermen]], or similar title, is responsible for [[legislative]] functions such as establishing [[policy]], passing [[local ordinance]]s, voting [[Appropriation (law)|appropriation]]s, and developing an overall vision, similar to a corporate [[board of directors]].<ref name=ICMAmain>{{Cite web |url=http://www.icma.org/main/topic.asp?hsid=1&tpid=20 |title=ICMA information brochure |access-date=2009-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904224433/http://www.icma.org/main/topic.asp?tpid=20&hsid=1 |archive-date=2006-09-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city council is accountable to the citizens of the community they represent, who play a similar role to that of shareholders in a corporation. The council or commission appoints a [[city manager]] to oversee the administrative operations, implement its policies, and advise it. The manager position is similar to that of a corporate [[chief executive officer]] appointed by a board of directors. The position of "[[mayor]]" present in this type of legislative body is a largely ceremonial title, and may be selected by the council from among its members or elected as an at-large council member with no executive functions,<ref name=5formsICMA>[https://archive.today/20130113043950/http://icma.org/main/ld.asp?ldid=11226&hsid=10&tpid=20 ICMA forms of government]</ref> similar to a non-executive [[chairperson]] in a corporation.

The [[International City/County Management Association]] (ICMA), a [[professional organization]] for city managers, has listed at least three defining characteristics that distinguish a true council–manager government:
* All governmental authority rests with the council or other elected body, except for certain executive or administrative duties that are assigned to the manager. However, the manager always is employed at the pleasure of the elected body.{{Sfn|Svara|Nelson|2008|p=7}}
* The manager is allocated their functions in codified form by the city charter or other law, not assigned them ''ad hoc'' by a mayor.{{Sfn|Svara|Nelson|2008|p=8}}
* The manager must be responsible to, hired by, and can be dismissed only by the entire council, not one individual, such as a mayor or chairperson.{{Sfn|Svara|Nelson|2008|p=8}}

As of 2019, it is used in 52.7% of American cities with populations over 10,000.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Kimberly H. |last=Nelson|chapter=The Local Government Manager|title=Managing Local Government Services|edition=4th|year=2021|publisher=ICMA|page=22}}</ref>