Oftentimes when talking with residents, the conversation gets to, “What, exactly, does the mayor do?” It’s a good question, and one that we often take for granted!
According to Jamestown’s Town Charter: “The Mayor shall be the official head of the Town government, shall preside at all meetings of the Town Council, and shall have the powers and duties of Mayor as prescribed by this Charter and the General Statutes. The Mayor shall have the right to vote on matters before the Council only when there are equal number votes in the affirmative and in the negative.” As a whole, “The Mayor and Town Council, elected and constituted as herein set forth, shall be the governing body of the Town. On behalf of the Town, and in conformity with applicable laws, the Mayor and Council may provide for the exercise of all municipal powers, and shall be charged with the general government of the town.”
In a nutshell, the Mayor leads the Council, runs the meetings, and breaks tie votes.
Temperament and knowledge count. To be effective, the mayor needs to be a strong mediator and consensus-builder, able to work with staff, council members, residents, and business owners to balance many interests. They need to have an understanding of what services the town does (and does not) provide so that they can focus their efforts where they can make an impact. They should be respected by those working with our partner agencies, with whom they must also have good working relationships. They should be truthful, even-tempered, reliable, and always seek what is best for Jamestown.
Like many municipalities, Jamestown has a “Council-Manager” form of government. This means that the Council has the authority to set policies and appoints a non-partisan Town Manager, who is charged with the day-to-day operations of the town. This helps staff stay above the fray and focused on their respective jobs at hand. The Council also appoints the Town Attorney.
Another question people ask is, “So how much does the gig pay?” And the answer is: nothing. Jamestown has an all-volunteer Council. We’re truly doing this because we like it here and want to give back to a community that has been so good to us. (But I hear there may be a top hat and monocle available for occasional use…)