Office of the Mayor

Mission of the Mayor’s Office

Mission of the Mayor’s Office The Mayor is “recognized as the official head of the city for all ceremonial purposes, and by the courts for the purpose of accepting and receiving civil process for the city, and by the governor for purpose of military law.” The Mayor presides over all meetings of the City Council with authority to participate in discussions, but without the power to vote. The mayor may make recommendations to the council, and can exercise veto power over most ordinances adopted by the council. The Mayor may also make general investigations into the official conduct and affairs of all city officers and employees, and may  examine “the conditions of all city books, papers, records, property and equipment,” and report to the City Council “all violations or neglect of duty.” The Mayor is tasked by the city charter  to “put down riots and unlawful assemblies,” and during any time of public danger or an officially declared state of emergency, “shall assume the role of emergency management director, take command of the police and fire departments, maintain order, and enforce the law,” the charter states. When necessary, the mayor may call the council into a special session, and “shall recommend to the council such measures from time to time, as to him/her shall seem wholesome and proper.” And, according to the charter, “the mayor shall exemplify good citizenship and exhibit a cooperative spirit.”