What is the council's function?
The council is the legislative body; its members are the community's decision maker. Power is centralized in the elected council, which approves the budget and determines the tax rate, for example. The council also focuses on the community's goals, major projects, and such long-term considerations as community growth, land use development, capital improvement plans, capital financing, and strategic planing. The council hires a professional manager to carry out the administrative responsibilities and supervises the manager's performance.

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1. What is the council-manager form, which is used in so many local governments?
2. Is it a responsive form of government?
3. What is the council's function?
4. What is the manager's function?
5. What is the cost to the local government of appointing a professional manager?
6. Does the manager participate in policy determination?
7. Where does the mayor fit in?
8. Are all council-manager governments structured the same way?
9. Is this form of government used only in certain kinds of cities?
10. How many Americans live in communities that operate under council-manager government?
11. Is the form popular in large communities?
12. How much citizen participation is possible under council-manager government?
13. What is the history of the council-manager form?
14. How can a community adopt this form of government?
15. How is the manager selected?
16. Does the manager have to be a local resident at the time the appointment is made?
17. What salary does the manager receive?
18. Can the manager be fired?
19. Where do managers get their prior experience?