In a local government system where the mayor is often ceremonial and a professional administrator runs the city, which system is this?

• A. Council-manager system
• B. Mayor-council system
• C. Commission system
• D. Strong-mayor system

Answer: (A)

In municipal governance, the arrangement described is the council-manager form. In this setup, an elected city council handles policy decisions and sets overall goals, while a professionally trained city manager runs the day-to-day operations, oversees departments, and implements the council’s policies. The mayor typically serves a largely ceremonial role or acts as a non-executive chair, rather than as the city’s chief executive.

This separation of policy and administration distinguishes it from other systems. In a mayor-council arrangement, the mayor is the chief executive and runs city operations; in a strong-mayor system the mayor’s powers are even more expansive. In a commission system, voters elect several commissioners who each head a department, with no single professional administrator. The described setup best fits the council-manager model.