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City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis.[1]
These commissioners constitute the legislative body of the city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions. Individual commissioners are also assigned executive responsibility for a specific aspect of municipal affairs, such as public works, finance, or public safety. This form of government thus blends legislative and executive branch functions in the same body. One commissioner may be designated to function as mayor, but this largely is an honorific or ceremonial designation. The mayor principally serves as chairman or president of the commission, presiding over meetings, but typically does not have additional powers over and above the other commissioners. In many cases, the mayor is selected by the commissioners from among themselves, though some cities with a commission form of government, such as Bismarck, North Dakota, have an specifically elected mayor.
As a form, commission government once was common, but has largely been supplanted as many cities that once used it have since switched to the council–manager form, in which the elected council, presided over by a non-executive mayor, hires a professional manager to oversee day to day operations of the city. Proponents of the council-manager form typically consider the city commission form to be the predecessor of, not the alternative to, the council-manager form of government.[2] The commission form is now found in less that one percent of American municipalities.
- ^ "Cities 101 — Forms of Local Government". National League of Cities. December 13, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "COMMISSION FORM OF CITY GOVERNMENT," (accessed May 26, 2009).