City government

City government, government that manages affairs for cities and various other communities. Most cities are incorporated municipalities, that is, corporations defined and empowered by the state through charters. An elected council or commission forms the legislature. The executive branch may be headed by an elected mayor, an appointed city manager, or elected commissioners. Larger cities also have their own court system. The branches of government, its related agencies, and the individual city workers (civil servants) make up a bureaucracy governed by city laws, also known as municipal ordinances. These ordinances cover day-to-day needs of city residents. Property taxes and state or federal grants-in-aid generate most of the money on which cities run.

See also: City.