Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Forms of Municipal Government

Advantages

Disadvantages
Weak Mayor
• Long historical tradition                •  Power and responsibility diffused
• Elected representative council to meet constituents'
   needs                       		 • Lack of strong leadership
 
• Has worked well in small and rural localities • Political vacuum may lead to "bossism" and "machine"
   politics
Strong Mayor
• Strong leadership with centralized responsibility       • Too much responsibility for one person
• Facilitates policy formulation and implementation • Mayor may not be a professional administrator
Council-Manager
• Professional manager in charge of managing city • No strong, effective political leadership
• Council retains policy control           • Tendency for manager to usurp policy making functions
• City run in business-like manner
    		• Manager may be a stranger to the city, seeking only to
   advance his or her own career
Commission
• Has worked well in emergency situations • Legislative and policy functions held by one body
• Simple organizational structure • No checks and balances
• Swift direct implementation of policy • No one person with overall administrative responsibility
• Difficult to elect legislators with administrative abilities
Town Meeting/Representative Town Meeting
• "Purest" form of democracy  • Difficult to do long-range planning
• Allows all voters a say in how town is run • Challenging to educate all citizens adequately
• Deep historical tradition • Preparing announce of meeting may be cumbersome
   process
• Has worked well in small localities • Annual meetings poorly attended
Source:  Julianne Duvall, "Contemporary Choices for Citizens," in Roger L. Kemp, ed. Forms of Local Government:  A Handbook on City, County and Regional Options.  Jefferson, NC:  McFarland & Co., 1999, p. 65.