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In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
or a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
. Worldwide, there is a wide
variance In probability theory and statistics, variance is the expectation of the squared deviation of a random variable from its population mean or sample mean. Variance is a measure of dispersion, meaning it is a measure of how far a set of numbe ...
in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play a solely ceremonial role. A mayor's duties and responsibilities may be to appoint and oversee municipal managers and employees, provide basic governmental services to constituents, and execute the laws and ordinances passed by a municipal governing body (or mandated by a state, territorial or national governing body). Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board. The term ''mayor'' shares a linguistic origin with the military rank of '' Major'', both ultimately derived from French .


History


United Kingdom

In modern
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, the position of mayor descends from the feudal lord's bailiff or reeve (''see
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...
''). The chief magistrate of
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
bore the title of
portreeve A portreeve ( ang, hæfenrēfa, sometimes spelled Port-reeve) or port warden is the title of a historical official in England and Wales possessing authority (political, administrative, or fiscal) over a town. The details of the office have fluctu ...
for considerably more than a century after the
Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...
. This official was elected by popular choice, a privilege secured from King John. By the beginning of the 12th century, the title of portreeve gave way to that of mayor as the designation of the chief officer of London, followed around 1190 by that of Winchester. Other boroughs adopted the title later. In the 19th century, in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, the
Municipal Corporations Act 1882 The Municipal Corporations Act 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c.50) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced existing legislation governing municipal boroughs in England and Wales, and gave the corporations powers to make byelaws and ...
, Section 15, regulated the election of mayors. The mayor was to be a fit person elected annually on 9  November by the council of the borough from among the aldermen or councilors or persons qualified to be such. His term of office was one year, but he was eligible for re-election. He might appoint a deputy to act during illness or absence, and such deputy must be either an alderman or councilor. A mayor who was absent from the borough for more than two months became disqualified and had to vacate his office. A mayor was ''ex officio'' a justice of the peace for the borough during his year of office and the following year. He received such remuneration as the council thought reasonable. These provisions have now been repealed. In medieval Wales, the
Laws of Hywel Dda ''Cyfraith Hywel'' (; ''Laws of Hywel''), also known as Welsh law ( la, Leges Walliæ), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales before its final conquest by England. Subsequently, the Welsh law's criminal codes were superseded by t ...
codified the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
(
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: ';
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: ') as a position at the royal courts charged with administering the serfs of the king's lands. To maintain its dependence on and loyalty to the Crown, the position was forbidden to the leaders of the clan groups.
Wade-Evans, Arthur Arthur Wade Wade-Evans (born Arthur Wade Evans) (31 August 1875 – 4 January 1964) was a Welsh clergyman and historian. Biography Evans was born in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, in south Wales on 31 August 1875 and did not include his mother's ...
. ''
Welsh Medieval Law Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
''. Oxford Univ., 1909. Accessed 1 February 2013.
A separate mayor, known as the "cow dung mayor" (), was charged with overseeing the royal cattle. There were similar offices at the Scottish and Irish courts. The office of
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
in most modern English and Welsh boroughs and towns did not in the 20th century entail any important administrative duties and was generally regarded as an honor conferred for local distinction, long service on the council, or for past services. The mayor was expected to devote much of his (or her) time to civic, ceremonial, and representational functions, and to preside over meetings for the advancement of the public welfare. The administrative duties of mayors were to act as returning officer at parliamentary elections and to chair the meetings of the council. The mayor of a
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...
is officially known as "town mayor" (although in popular parlance, the word ''town'' is often dropped). The person is known as "mayor" regardless of gender; the partner of a mayor is sometimes known as the "mayoress". Since the 1974 local government reforms, mayors are also appointed to English
local government districts The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
which have borough status. This results in mayors of districts which include towns which also have separate mayors. In districts which do not have borough status, the role of civic leader is taken by the chairman of the council, who undertakes exactly the same functions as a mayor of a district with borough status. Some cities in England have a Lord mayor. In
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
the post holders are known as convenors, provosts, or lord provosts depending on the local authority.


Directly elected mayors

Since
reforms Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
introduced in 2000, a number of English local authorities have
directly elected mayors Directly elected Mayors or Leaders in England, informally known as Metro Mayors or Leaders, are local government executive leaders who are directly elected by the residents of a local authority area (typically, but not always, a metropolitan are ...
who combine the "civic" mayor role with that of
leader of the council In England, local authorities are required to adopt one of three types of executive arrangements, having either an "elected mayor and cabinet", a "leader and cabinet", or a "committee system". The type of arrangement used determines how decisions ...
and have significantly greater powers than either. Areas which now have directly elected mayors include cities, local government districts which cover several towns and rural areas, and since 2014
combined authority A combined authority is a type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Combined authorities are created voluntarily and allow a grou ...
areas which include two or more local authority districts.


Continental Europe

The original
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
mayors or majordomos were like the Welsh lords commanding the king's lands around the
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
courts in Austrasia, Burgundy, and
Neustria Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks. Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It late ...
. The mayorship of Paris eventually became hereditary in the Pippinids, who later established the
Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
. In modern
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, since the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
, a mayor () and a number of mayoral adjuncts () are selected by the municipal council from among their number. Most of the administrative work is left in their hands, with the full council meeting comparatively infrequently. The model was copied throughout Europe in Britain's mayors, Italy's
sindaco The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
s, most of the German states'
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...
s, and Portugal's presidents of the municipal chambers. In
Medieval Italy The history of Italy in the Middle Ages can be roughly defined as the time between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. The term "Middle Ages" itself ultimately derives from the description of the period of "obsc ...
, the
city-states A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
who did not consider themselves independent principalities or dukedoms particularly those of the Imperial
Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...
faction were led by
podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
s. The
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
equivalent of a mayor is the
demarch The ''dēmarchos'' ( gr, δήμαρχος, 3= archon of the deme; plural δήμαρχοι, ''dēmarchoi''), anglicized as Demarch, is a title historically given to officials related to civic administration. In ancient Athens the title was given t ...
( el, δήμαρχος, 3= archon of the
deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states. Demes as simple subdivisions of land in the countryside seem to have existed in the 6th century BC and ear ...
).


Scandinavia

In
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
all
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
are led by a political official called '' borgmester'', 'mayor'. The mayor of
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
is however called '' overborgmester'' 'lord mayor'. In that city other mayors, (plural), are subordinate to the lord mayor with different undertakings, like ministers to a prime minister. In other municipalities in Denmark there is only a single mayor. In
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
and Sweden the mayoral title ''/'' has now been abolished. Norway abolished it in 1937 as a title of the non-political top manager of (city) municipalities and replaced it with the title ('
alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
' or '
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
'), which is still in use when referring to the top managers of the
municipalities of Norway Norway is divided into 11 administrative regions, called county, counties (''fylker'' in Norwegian, singular: ''fylke''), and 356 municipality, municipalities (''kommuner/-ar'', singular: ''kommune'' – cf. Municipality#communes, communes). The ...
. The top ''elected'' official of the municipalities of Norway, on the other hand, has the title , which actually means 'word-bearer', i.e. 'chairperson' or 'president', an equivalent to the Swedish word '' ordförande''. In Sweden was a title of the senior judge of the courts of the cities, courts which were called , literally 'town hall court', somewhat of an equivalent to an English
magistrates' court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrate's Cou ...
. These courts were abolished in 1971. Until 1965, these mayor judges on historical grounds also performed administrative functions in the board of magistrates, in Swedish known collegially as . Until 1965 there were also municipal mayors (), who had these non-political administrative roles in smaller cities without a magistrates' court or . This office was an invention of the 20th century as the smaller cities in Sweden during the first half of the 20th century subsequently lost their own courts and magistrates. In the 16th century in Sweden, king
Gustav Vasa Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksför ...
considerably centralised government and appointed the mayors directly. In 1693 king Charles XI accepted a compromise after repeated petitions from the Estate of the Burgesses over decades against the royal mayor appointments. The compromise was that the burgesses in a city could normally nominate a mayor under the supervision of the local governor. The nominee was then to be presented to and appointed by the king, but the king could appoint mayors directly in exceptional cases. This was codified in the
Instrument of Government The Instrument of Government was a constitution of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. Drafted by Major-General John Lambert in 1653, it was the first sovereign codified and written constitution in England. Antecedence The ' ...
of 1720 and on 8 July the same year Riksrådet ("the Council of the Realm") decided, after a petition from the said Estate, that only the city could present nominees, not the king or anyone else. Thus the supervision of the local governor and directly appointed mayors by the king ceased after 1720 (the so-called Age of Liberty). On 16 October 1723, it was decided after a petition that the city should present three nominees, of whom the king (or the Council of the Realm) appointed one.The article ''Borgmästare'' (in Swedish)
in Nordisk Familjebok.
This was kept as a rule from then on in all later regulations and was also kept as a tradition in the
1809 Instrument of Government The 1809 Instrument of Government ( sv, 1809 års regeringsform), adopted on 6 June 1809 by the Riksdag of the Estates and King Charles XIII, was the constitution of the Kingdom of Sweden from 1809 to the end of 1974. It came about as a result ...

§ 31
until 1965. In
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, there are two mayors, in
Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
and
Pirkkala Pirkkala (; sv, Birkala) is a municipality of Finland. It is located some south-west from Tampere in the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , which makes ...
. Usually in Finland the highest executive official is not democratically elected, but is appointed to a public office by the city council, and is called simply 'city manager' or 'municipal manager', depending on whether the municipality defines itself as a city. The term 'mayor', from Swedish confusingly on historical grounds has referred to the highest official in the registry office and in the city courts (abolished in 1993) as in Sweden, not the city manager. In addition, is also an honorary title, which may be given for distinguished service in the post of the city manager. The city manager of Helsinki is called , which translates to 'chief mayor', for historical reasons. Furthermore, the term ''city manager'' may be seen translated as ''mayor''.


Spain

The office of the '' Alcalde'' evolved during the
Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
as new lands were settled by the expanding kingdoms of León and Castile. As fortified settlements in the area between the
Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part o ...
and
Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...
rivers became true urban centers, they gained, from their
feudal lords Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
or the kings of Leon and Castile, the right to have councils. Among the rights that these councils had was to elect a municipal judge ( in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and in Spanish). These judges were assisted in their duties by various assistant judges, called , whose number depended on the number of parishes the town had. The title was borrowed from the Arabic '' al-qaḍi'' (), meaning 'the judge'. The word originally was used for simple judges, as in
Andalusian Arabic Andalusi Arabic (), also known as Andalusian Arabic, was a variety or varieties of Arabic spoken mainly from the 9th to the 17th century in Al-Andalus, the regions of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal) once under Muslim rule. It b ...
. Only later was it applied to the presiding municipal magistrate. This early use continued to be reflected in its other uses, such as , the judges in the '' audiencias''; , who formed the highest tribunal in Castile and also managed the royal court; , a synonym for ''corregidor''; and , who were roughly the equivalent of British
parish constable A parish constable, also known as a petty constable, was a law enforcement officer, usually unpaid and part-time, serving a parish. The position evolved from the ancient '' chief pledge'' of a ''tithing'', and takes its name from the office of ''con ...
s. Because of this, the municipal was often referred to as an .


Mayors by country


Australia

In Australian councils, the mayor is generally the member of the council who acts as a ceremonial figurehead at official functions, as well as carrying the authority of the council between meetings. Mayoral decisions made between meetings are subject to council and may be confirmed or repealed if necessary. Mayors in Australia may be elected either directly through a ballot for the position of mayor at a local-government election, or alternatively may be elected from within the council at a meeting. The civic regalia and insignia of local government have basically remained unaltered for centuries. For ceremonial occasions a mayor may wear robes, a mayoral chain and a mace. Mayors have the title of ' His/Her Worship' whilst holding the position. In councils where
councillors A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
are elected representing political parties, the mayor is normally the leader of the party receiving the most seats on council. In
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
, the lord mayor and mayors are elected by popular vote at the general council election.


Bangladesh

Mayors in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
are elected every five years. They are very powerful in municipal government. The mayor is the highest-ranking official in municipal governments in Bangladesh.


Brazil

Every municipality in Brazil elects a mayor (Portuguese: ) and a vice-mayor (Portuguese: ) for a four-year term, acting as an executive officer with the city council (Portuguese: ) functioning with legislative powers. The mayor can be re-elected and manage the city for two consecutive terms. Mayoral elections in Brazil occur in two different ways: in municipalities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, the voting happens in a
two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...
, like the presidential and
gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
elections. In municipalities with less than 200,000 inhabitants, the voting happens in a relative majority system (with only one round). The Brazilian system works similarly to the mayor-council government in the United States.


Canada

The chief executives of borough#Canada, boroughs (''Arrondissement#Quebec, arrondissements'') in Quebec are termed mayors ( in French). A borough mayor simultaneously serves as head of the borough council and as a regular councillor on the main city council. The scheduling of municipal elections in Canada varies by jurisdiction, as each province and territory has its own laws regarding municipal governance. As is the practice in most Commonwealth countries, in Canada a mayor is addressed as His/Her Worship while holding office.


Reeve

In a few List of municipalities in Ontario, municipalities and townships in Ontario, the reeve is the elected head of the municipality, and the second-in-command is referred to as the deputy reeve. Historically, in some small township (Canada), townships, the title "reeve" was used instead of mayor. In some other municipalities, "mayor" and "reeve" were two separate offices, with the mayor retaining leadership powers while the reeve was equivalent to what other municipalities called an "at-large councillor". Today most municipalities in the province now designate their elected municipal government heads as mayors, but a small handful retain the position. This continues to be the case in the following municipalities and townships: * Dysart et al, Haliburton County * Highlands East, Haliburton County * Beckwith, Ontario, Beckwith Township, Lanark County * Lanark Highlands, Lanark County * Drummond/North Elmsley, Drummond/North Elmsley Township, Lanark County * Tay Valley, Tay Valley Township, Lanark County * Montague, Ontario, Montague Township, Lanark County The reeve is also the chief elected official in most of Alberta's List of municipal districts in Alberta, municipal districts. The elected heads of rural municipalities (RM) in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are also referred to as a reeve.


Dominican Republic

The mayor of a municipality in the Dominican Republic is called indistinctly or . The latter name is preferred to avoid confusing the title with the similar-sounding (lit. 'prison warden'). Such a person is the governor of the municipality whose township elected him (or her) by direct vote for a term of four years. The daily duties of the mayor's office are restricted to local governance, and as such, it is responsible for the coordination of waste collection, Maintenance, repair, and operations, upkeep of public spaces (parks, undeveloped urban parcels, streets, city ornate, traffic light control, sewage and most public utilities). In practice, most of its duties are centered on minor street repairs (new or large road projects, like overpasses, bridges, pedestrian crossings, etc. are handled by the Ministry of Public Works (), under the direct control of the central government. Subcontracting Waste collection, garbage collection and management, overseeing the use of public spaces and arbitrating neighborhood land use disputes which are managed by the National Property office () is also controlled by the mayor's office. Water, electrical supply and public transportation coordination are handled by several central government offices, and as such, are not under the control of the mayor.


France

Mayors () are elected for a six-year term by the municipal council, whose members are elected by direct universal suffrage in Elections in France#Municipal, local elections held every six years.


Germany

In Germany, local government is regulated by states of Germany, state statutes. Nowadays only the mayors of the three city-states (Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen (state), Bremen) are still elected by the respective city-state parliaments. In all the other states the mayors are now elected directly by the EU citizens living in that area. The post of mayor may be said to be a professional one, the mayor being the head of the local government, and requiring, in order to be eligible, training in administration. In big cities (details are regulated by state statutes) the official title is (mayor). In these cities, a "simple" mayor is just a deputy responsible for a distinct task (e.g., welfare or construction works). Big cities are usually ''Kreisfreie Stadt, kreisfrei'' ('district-free'). That means that the city council also has the powers and duties of a rural district council. The leader of a rural district council is called ('land counsellor'). In that case, the chief mayor also has the duties and powers of a . There are also some German states that allow smaller cities to have an ''Oberbürgermeister'' as well. In Saarland, for instance, every city with more than 35,000 inhabitants has one, and in Saxony-Anhalt every city with a population bigger than 25,000 has one. The term is not used in the three city-states, where the mayors are simultaneously minister-president, head of state governments, but (Governing Mayor of Berlin), (First Mayor of the city-state of Hamburg) and (Mayor of Bremen, President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen) are used. However, the term was used for the head of the state government of West Berlin until 1951 and was also used in East Berlin from 1948 to January 1991.


Greece

Mayors (, , sing. , ''demarchos, dēmarchos'') in Greece were previously elected every four years in Elections in Greece#Local elections, local elections and are the head of various municipal governments in which the state is divided. Starting in 2014, mayors are elected for a five-year term. Local administration elections for the new, consolidated municipalities and peripheries will henceforth be held together with the Elections in the European Union, elections for the European Parliament. Local administration in Greece recently underwent extensive reform in two phases: the first phase, implemented in 1997 and commonly called the Kapodistrias Plan, consolidated the country's numerous municipalities and communities down to approximately 1000. The second phase, initially called Kapodistrias II but eventually called the Kallikratis Plan, was implemented in 2010, further consolidated municipalities down to 370, and merged the country's 54 prefectures, which were disbanded in favour of the larger 13 regions. The Kallikratian municipalities were designed according to several guidelines; for example, each island (except Crete) was incorporated into a single municipality, while the majority of small towns were consolidated so as to have an average municipal population of 25,000.


India

In India, Mayor (India), mayor is the first citizen of a city and the head of Municipal corporation (India), Municipal Corporation which is a local government of cities with a population over 1 million. They have a number of roles, both ceremonial and functional. In most Indian states mayors are elected indirectly among the Councillor, corporators (who are directly elected by the people of their respective Ward (electoral subdivision), wards) of Municipal Corporation, except in nine states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand, where mayors are elected directly by the public.


Indonesia

In Indonesia, mayor ( id, wali kota, formerly called and ) is a regional head of a city or town. A mayor has the same level as a regent (''bupati''), head of a regency (''kabupaten''). Basically, a mayor has the duty and authority to lead the implementation of the policies established by the region along with the city council (''Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Kota'', DPRD Kota; formerly called Tier 2-DPRD (''DPRD Tingkat II'')). A mayor is elected in a pair with a vice mayor through direct elections and is a political office. An exception is Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, where mayoralty is a civil-service career position with limited authority and is designated by Governor of Jakarta, the governor. Their regions are called Jakarta#Administrative divisions, administration cities (''kota administrasi''). Before 1999, there were administrative cities (''kota administratif'', :id:Kota administratif, [id]) which were headed by administrative mayors.


Iran

In Iran, the mayor is the executive manager of a city and is elected by the Islamic City Council. The mayor is elected for a four-year term.


Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, the head of a borough corporation was called "mayor" from the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 until boroughs were abolished by the Local Government Reform Act 2014. The Local Government Act 2001 allowed Counties of Ireland, county councils to style their chairperson as "mayor" and some do so. City status in Ireland, City council chairs are "mayor" (or "lord mayor" in the cases Lord Mayor of Dublin, of Dublin and Lord Mayor of Cork, of Cork). Since 2000 Proposed directly elected mayor for the Dublin Metropolitan Area, there have been proposals for a directly elected mayor of the Dublin Metropolitan Area.


Italy

In Italy, the mayor is called , or informally ('first citizen'). Every municipality ( it, comune) has a mayor who represents the local government. The mayor is elected every five years by the inhabitants of the municipality; the mayor cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms, except in municipalities of up to 3,000 inhabitants, those not having any term limit.


Japan

Japan's Local Autonomy Law, Local-Autonomy Law of 1947 defines the structure of Japanese local governments, which were strengthened after World War II. It gives strong executive power to the mayor in local politics like mayor-council government#Executive or Strong Mayor Form, strong mayors in large cities in the United States of America. The titles that are translated as ''mayor'' by the governments are those of the heads of cities of Japan, cities , towns of Japan, towns , villages of Japan, villages , and Tokyo's special wards of Tokyo, special wards (The head of the Tokyo, Tokyo prefecture is the ). A mayor is elected every four years by direct popular votes held separately from the assembly. A mayor can be recall election, recalled by a popular initiative but the prefectures of Japan, prefectural and the national governments cannot remove a mayor from office. Towards the assembly the mayor prepares budgets, proposes local Act of Parliament, acts and may veto local acts approved by the assembly which can be overridden by two-thirds assembly support. A mayor can dissolve the assembly if the assembly passes a motion of no confidence or if the mayor thinks the assembly has no confidence in fact.


Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, the mayor is called ''akim'', who is the head of an , a municipal, district, or provincial government (), and serves as the presidential representative. ''s'' of provinces and cities are appointed to the post by the president on the advice of the prime minister. Meanwhile, the ''s'' of other administrative and territorial units are appointed or elected to the post in an order defined by the president. The president may also dismiss ''s'' from their posts. The ' powers end upon the newly elected president of the republic taking office. Thus, the continue to fulfill their duties before the appointment of the corresponding by the President of Kazakhstan.


Malaysia

The mayor functions as the head of the local government of the cities in Malaysia. To date, there are List of cities in Malaysia#Cities of Malaysia, 14 officially-recognised cities in the country. In cities which lie within the jurisdiction of any one of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 Malaysian states, the mayor is appointed by the state government. Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, is a notable exception, as it forms part of the Federal Territories (Malaysia), Federal Territories which come under the purview of the Government of Malaysia, Malaysian federal government, via the Ministry of Federal Territories (Malaysia), Ministry of Federal Territories. Thus, the mayor of Kuala Lumpur is selected by, and subordinate to, the Minister of Federal Territories (Malaysia), Minister of Federal Territories. Following the Malaysian general election, 2018, 2018 general election, which saw the country undergoing its first ever regime change, there have been calls to revive local government elections, which had been the practice in certain cities such as Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Penang, George Town, Ipoh and Malacca City, Melaka until their abolishment in 1965. The reinstatement of local government elections would lead to the mayoral position being elected, instead of being appointed as per the current system.


Malta

In Malta, the mayor (Maltese language, Maltese: ) is the leader of the majority party in the Local councils of Malta, local council. The members of the local councils are directly elected and collectively serve as a basic form of local government.


Moldova

The mayor of the municipality in Moldova is elected for four years. In Chișinău, the last mayoral elections had to be repeated three times because of the low rate of participation.


Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the mayor (in nl, burgemeester) is the leader of the college of mayor and aldermen (''College van Burgemeester en Wethouders''), the municipal executive. In the Netherlands, ''s'' are ''de facto'' appointed by the national Cabinet of the Netherlands, cabinet, ''de jure'' by the Dutch Monarchy, monarch. Appointment is generally preceded by a selection procedure and nomination by the municipal council and king's commissioner (head of the provincial executive), and a nomination is only very rarely not followed by an appointment. Mayors preside over both the municipal executive and the legislative (''gemeenteraad''), although they can vote in the former and not in the latter. The title is sometimes translated as
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...
, to emphasise the appointed, rather than elected, nature of the office. The appointment procedure was brought for discussion in the early 2000s (decade), as some of the political parties represented in parliament regarded the procedure as undemocratic. Generally, mayors in the Netherlands are selected from the established political parties, although since the late 2010s mayors without political affiliation have become more common. Alternatives proposed were direct election of the mayor by the people or official appointment by the municipal council (). A constitutional change to allow for this failed to pass the Senate of the Netherlands, Senate in March 2005, but succeeded in 2018.


Nepal

Mayors in Nepal are elected every five years in the Elections in Nepal, local elections. They are very powerful in municipal government. The mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government in Nepal.


New Zealand

Mayors in New Zealand are elected every three years in the Elections in New Zealand, local body elections.


Pakistan

In Pakistan, a city is headed by the Districts of Pakistan, district ''nazim'' (the word means 'administrator' in Urdu, but is sometimes translated as 'mayor') and assisted by the Naib Nazim, ''naib nazim'', who is also speaker of the district council. The district is elected by the of Union councils of Pakistan, union councils, union councillors and by tehsil , who themselves are elected directly by the votes of the local public. Council elections are held every four years.


Philippines

In the Philippines, mayors ( tl, Punong Bayan/Punong Lungsod) are the head of a List of cities and municipalities in the Philippines, municipality or a city, with the vice mayor as the second-highest position in the city. They are elected every three years during the midterm and national elections, and they can serve up to three consecutive terms of office. , there are 1,635 mayors in the Philippines.


Poland

As of 30 April 2022, there are altogether 2477 municipalities (gmina) in Poland, including 1513 rural gminas, while the remaining 968 ones contain cities and towns. Among them, 666 towns are part of an urban-rural gmina while 302 cities and towns are standalone as an urban gmina. The latter group includes 107 cities (governed by a ''prezydent miasta''), including 66 city with powiat rights, cities with powiat rights. 37 cities among the latter group are over 100,000, including 18 cities serving as a seat for voivode or voivodeship sejmik, informally called voivodeship cities. All municipalities in Poland including cities and towns are governed under the mandatory mayor–council government system. Executive power is vested in an official called one of the following: * a city mayor (''prezydent miasta'') * a town mayor (''burmistrz'') * a ''wójt'' which is the equivalent office in a rural municipality (''gmina, gmina wiejska'') They are elected by a two-round system, two-round direct election for a five-year term concurrently with the five-year term of the municipal council and cannot serve in the latter or in any higher-level deliberative bodies: a county council, a voivodeship sejmik, the Parliament of Poland or the European Parliament. Citizens with a criminal record cannot run for mayor, but only if sentenced for intentional criminal offence prosecuted ex officio. The municipal council, municipal/town/city council is the legislative, budget-making and oversight body. City mayors or town mayors may appoint a deputy mayor if needed. A town or city mayor may be scrutinized or denied funding for his/her projects by the council, but is not politically responsible to it and does not require its confidence to remain in office; therefore, Cohabitation (government), cohabitation is not uncommon. A Recall election, recall referendum may however be triggered through a petition supported by at least 1/10 of eligible voters, but the turnout in the recall referendum must be at least 3/5 of the number of people voting in the original election in order for the referendum to be valid and binding. A town/city mayor can also be dismissed by the prime minister in case of persistent transgression of the law. Town/city mayors manage the municipal estate, issue administrative decisions and minor regulations, and incur liability (financial accounting), liabilities within limits set by the municipal council. They prepare and present the planned budget to the municipal council, subject to its acceptation and amendments. After the municipal council votes to accept the budget, the town/city mayor is responsible for its realization. Town/city mayors are heads of the town hall, town/city hall (office), the register office (the town/city mayor may appoint deputies for these specific tasks), as well as the parent authority for all public kindergartens and elementary schools in the municipality. They are also personally responsible for the emergency management and civil defense in a municipality. A municipality itself is responsible among others for public transport, water supply and water treatment, treatment, and waste management. A town/city mayor has the legal capacity to act as employer for all the officials of a town/city hall. Town/city mayors in Poland have wide administrative and staffing authority: the only municipal executive official that the town/city mayor cannot appoint or dismiss is a city treasurer, who is appointed by the town/city council. Although they do not have in Poland power to veto city council resolutions, their position is relatively strong and should be classified as a mayor-council government.In a city with powiat rights, the city mayor also has the powers and duties of a powiat executive board and a starosta. In addition, an office of quarter mayor (''burmistrz dzielnicy'') exists in the Quarters and neighbourhoods of Warsaw, auxiliary units of the city of Warsaw, called quarters. In spite of remaining an integral part of the city as an entity, the quarters have a degree of autonomy legally guaranteed through a form of an own local self-government exercising some powers devolved by law from the city. Each of the 18 city quarters has an own council (''rada dzielnicy'') which elects an executive board (''zarząd dzielnicy'') headed by a quarter mayor (''burmistrz dzielnicy''), the latter elected by the council among several candidates nominated by the city mayor of Warsaw among the council's members, as opposed to a town or a city mayor, both elected under direct suffrage.


Portugal

In Portugal and many other Portuguese-speaking countries the mayor of a municipality is called the ('President of the Municipal Chamber').


Romania

In Romania, the mayor of a commune, town or city is called . The is elected for a period of four years. In carrying out their responsibilities they are assisted by an elected local council (). Bucharest has a general mayor () and six sector mayors (), one for each Sectors of Bucharest, sector. The responsibilities of the mayor and of the local council are defined by Law 215/2001 of the Romanian Parliament.


Russia

In Russia, the , from French (transliteration: – not to be confused with the NATO OF-3 rank – English: ''major''), is one of the possible titles of the head of the administration of a city or municipality. This title is equivalent to that of the head of a Russian rural district. Exceptionally, the of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Sevastopol are equivalent to governors in Russia, since these three federal cities are Russian federal subjects. Except for the aforementioned three large cities, the governance system of a Russian municipality (city, county, district or town) is subordinate to the representative council of the federation in which it is located. The is either directly elected in municipal elections (citywide referendum) or is elected by the members of the municipality's representative council. Election by council members is now more widespread because it better integrates with the Russian federal three-level vertical governance structure: # National government: ## President (executive) ## Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly # Federation governments: ## Heads of federation (commonly governors) ## Regional representative councils # Local governments: ## Heads of administration (who have the official title of , whether or not local law defines it as such) ## Local representative councils The typical term of office of a in Russia is four years. The '''s'' office administers all municipal services, public property, police and fire protection, and most public agencies, and enforces all local and state laws within a city or town. According to Medialogy, the of Novosibirsk, Anatoly Lokot', is mentioned in the media more than any other Russian mayor. The of Kazan, Il'sur Metshin, is the most popular in Russia, scoring 76 out of 100, according to the Russian People's Rating of ''s''. The status of the post in Sevastopol is not legally recognized outside of the Russian Federation.


Serbia

In Serbia, the mayor is the head of the city or a town. The mayor acts on behalf of the city, and performs an executive function. The position of the mayor of Belgrade is important as the capital city is the most important hub of economics, culture and science in Serbia. Furthermore, the post of the mayor of Belgrade is the third most important position in the government after the Prime Minister of Serbia, prime minister and President of Serbia, president.


Spain and Hispanic America

'' Alcalde'' is the most common Spanish term for the mayor of a town or city. It is derived from the ar, Qadi, al-qaḍi, script=Latn (), i.e., 'the (Sharia) judge', who often had administrative, as well as judicial, functions. Although the Crown of Castile, Castilian and the Al-Andalus, Andalusian had slightly different attributes (the oversaw an entire province, the only a municipality; the former was appointed by the ruler of the state but the latter was elected by the Cabildo (council), municipal council), the adoption of this term reflects how much Muslim society in the Iberian Peninsula influenced the Christian one in the early phases of the ''
Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
''. As Spanish Christians took over an increasing part of the Peninsula, they adapted the Muslim systems and terminology for their own use. Today, it refers to the executive head of a municipal or local government, who usually does not have judicial functions. The word ''Intendant, intendente'' is used in Argentina and Paraguay for the office that is analogous to a mayor. In municipio, ''municipios'' and larger cities in Mexico, the chief executive is known as both or as ('municipal president'), with the latter being more widely used.


Sweden

The Swedish title (
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...
) was abolished in the court reform of 1971 when also the stad (Sweden), towns of Sweden were officially abolished.


Switzerland

The function and title for mayor vary from one canton to another. Generally, the mayor presides over an executive council of several members governing a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality. The title is: * In Italian: (Ticino), (Grigioni) * In French: (Canton of Geneva, Geneva, Canton of Jura, Jura, Canton of Bern, Bern), (Vaud, Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg), (Valais), (Canton of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel) * In German: e.g. , , ,


Taiwan

In the Republic of China in Taiwan the mayor is the head of the city's government and its city's council, which is in charge of legislative affairs. The mayor and city council are elected separately by the city's residents.


Turkey

Mayors (Turkish language, Turkish: ) in Turkey are elected by popular vote for five years alongside the municipal council. As a rule, there are municipalities in all province centers and district centers as well as towns ( tr, belde) which are actually villages with a population in excess of 2000. However, beginning by 1983, a new level of municipality was introduced in the Turkish administrative system. In big cities, metropolitan municipalities ( tr, Büyükşehir belediyesi) are established. (See metropolitan municipalities in Turkey) In a metropolitan municipality there may be several district municipalities (hence mayors). Mayors are elected in Elections in Turkey, local elections.


Ukraine

In Ukraine the title "head of the city" (; unofficially the foreign adaptation also is present) was introduced in 1999. Since then, the post is elected by all residents of the city. Before that date, the post was elected by members of the city council only and was known as head of the city council, which ''ex officio'' also serves as the head of the executive committee. For the cities that carry special status such as Kyiv and Sevastopol, the head of the city was a matter of long debate and the post is regulated by special laws. Since 2015 a post of ('elder') has been implemented at the lower level of the administrative-territorial pyramid. Candidates to the post are also elected by members of the territorial community (). The post is historical and existed in the territory of Ukraine during the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.


United States

The mayor is the municipal head of government, the maximum civil authority at the municipal level, in most United States municipalities (such as cities, townships, etc.). In the Mayoralty in the United States, United States, there are several distinct types of mayors, depending on whether the system of local government is council-manager government or mayor-council government. Under the council-manager government system, the mayor is a first among equals on the city council, which acts as a legislative body while executive functions are performed by the appointed manager. The mayor may chair the city council, but lacks any special legislative powers. The mayor and city council serve part-time, with day-to-day administration in the hands of a professional city manager. The system is most common among medium-sized cities from around 25,000 to several hundred thousand, usually rural and suburban municipalities. Under the mayor-council system, the mayoralty and city council are separate offices. This system may be of two types, either a strong mayor system or a weak mayor system. Under the ''strong mayor'' system, the mayor acts as an elected executive with the city council exercising legislative powers. They may select a chief administrative officer to oversee the different departments. This is the system used in most of the United States' large cities, primarily because mayors serve full-time and have a wide range of services that they oversee. In a ''weak mayor'' or ''ceremonial mayor'' system, the mayor has appointing power for department heads but is subject to checks by the city council, sharing both executive and legislative duties with the council. This is common for smaller cities, especially in New England. Charlotte, North Carolina, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, are two notable large cities with a ceremonial mayor. Many American mayors are styled "His Honor" or "Her Honor" while in office.


Multi-tier local government

In several countries, where there is no local autonomy, mayors are often appointed by some branch of the national or regional government. In some cities, subdivisions such as
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...
s may have their own mayors; this is the case, for example, with the arrondissements of Paris, Montreal, and Mexico City. In Belgium, Brussels is administratively one of the federation's three regions, and is subdivided, without the other regions' provincial level, into 19 rather small municipalities, with one, the City of Brussels, being the kingdom's capital, which each have an elected—formally appointed—burgomaster (i.e., mayor, responsible to his/her elected council); while Antwerp, the other major metropolitan area, has one large city (where the boroughs, former municipalities merged into it, elect a lower level, albeit with very limited competence) and several smaller surrounding municipalities, each under a normal burgomaster as in Brussels. In the People's Republic of China, the mayor () may be the administrative head of any municipality, provincial, prefecture-level, or county-level. The mayor is usually the most recognized official in cities, although the position is the second-highest-ranking official in charge after the local Communist Party secretary. In principle, the mayor (who also serves as the deputy Communist Party secretary of the city) is responsible for managing the city administration while the Communist Party secretary is responsible for general policy and managing the party bureaucracy, but in practice the roles blur, frequently causing conflict.


Acting mayor

Acting mayor is a temporary office created by the charter of some municipal governments. In many cities and towns, the charter or some similar fundamental document provides that in the event of the death, illness, resignation, or removal from office of the incumbent mayor, another official will lead the municipality for a temporary period, which, depending on the jurisdiction, may be for a stated period of days or months until a special election can be held, or until the original end of the term to which the vacating mayor was elected. Some cities may also provide for a deputy mayor to be temporarily designated as "acting mayor" in the event that the incumbent mayor is temporarily unavailable, such as for health reasons or out-of-town travel, but still continues to hold the position and is expected to return to the duties of the office. In this latter capacity, the acting mayor's role is to ensure that city government business can continue in the regular mayor's absence, and the acting mayor is not deemed to have actually held the office of mayor. In some jurisdictions, however, when a mayor resigns or dies in office, the mayor's successor is not considered to be an acting mayor but rather fully mayor in their own right. The position of acting mayor is usually of considerably more importance in a mayor-council form of municipal government, where the mayor performs functions of day-to-day leadership, than it is in a council-manager form of government, where the city manager provides day-to-day leadership and the position of mayor is either a largely or entirely ceremonial one.


See also

* Lists of mayors by country * Deputy mayor * Governor Concepts: * Acting (law) * Burgomaster * Sarpanch * World Mayor Local government: * Seat of local government * Council-manager government * Mayor-council government ;Historical * Schultheiß * Urban prefect


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * A. Shaw, ''Municipal Government in Continental Europe'' * J – A. Fairlie, ''Municipal Administration'' * S. and B. Webb, ''English Local Government'' * Redlich and Hirst, ''Local Government in England'' * A. L. Lowell, ''The Government of England''.


External links


Comparative database of European mayors
{{Authority control Mayors, Government occupations Local government in the United States Management occupations Positions of authority Titles Heads of local government