|
The City of Fort Collins is governed by the principles of the Council-Manager form of government. It is a form of government that became popular in the early part of this century. Many eastern cities have a "Mayor and Council" or "Commission" form of government, which places elected officials in direct charge of the administrative functions of the City. This means that the elected officials are responsible for not only the policy making functions of the organization, but the day-to-day decision making, administration, bill paying and personnel administration of the City.
The Council-Manager form of government is the more common organization in the western U.S. and is used in over 3,000 communities throughout the country. Under Fort Collins' Charter, the Council-Manager system requires that the elected officials, City Council members, are responsible for policy decisions, and for the hiring and supervision of its direct employees-the City Manager, City Attorney and Municipal Judge. The City Manager, in turn, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, and gives direction to the staff members who are his or her employees. Under the Charter, the City Council members are specifically prohibited from giving direction to, hiring or firing any of the staff members, except for the City Manager, City Attorney and Municipal Judge.
The philosophy behind the Council-Manager form of government is to create an administrative organization which is separate from the political process, and which is run by professional staff members who are trained in municipal government administration. This places the City Manager in the role of being responsible to the City Council for the actions of staff in each of the City's departments.
|
