City of Denton
My Government

City of Denton Mission Statement:

To be a leader among cities in delivering outstanding quality services and products through:

• Citizen involvement
• Innovation
• Efficient use of resources

The City of Denton Charter, adopted by the voters at an election on February 24, 1959, established and determined that Denton, as a municipality, would operate under the council-manager form of government.  The council-manager form of government is used in many local governments, cities and counties, because it combines the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The strength of this system lies in the maintenance of a representative system, with locally elected officials retaining the power to hire a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.

The councilmembers in this form of government are the leaders and policy makers elected to represent various segments of the community and concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens' needs and wishes.  As a legislative body, the councilmembers are the community decision makers.  They approve the budget, determine the tax rate, and focus on the community goals, major projects, and long-term considerations such as community growth, land use development, capital improvement plans, capital financing, and strategic planning. 

The city manager is appointed by the council to carry out policy wishes and ensure that the entire community is being served.  The manager is hired to serve the council and the community and to bring to the local government the benefits of training and experience in administering local government projects and programs.  The manager prepares the budget for council's consideration; recruits, hires, and supervises the local government staff; and serves as the council?s chief adviser, bringing forth objective information, pros and cons of alternatives, and long-term consequences.  The manager makes policy recommendations to the council, but the council may or may not adopt them and may modify the recommendations.  The manager is bound by whatever action the council takes.

The mayor in a council-manager form of government is the key political leader and policy developer.  In the case of the council, the mayor is responsible for soliciting citizen views in forming these policies and in interpreting them to the public.  The mayor presides at meetings, serves as a spokesperson to the community, facilitates communication and understanding between elected officials, advocates policy decisions, assists the council in setting goals, and serves as a promoter and defender of the community.  In addition, the mayor serves as a key representative in intergovernmental relations.  The mayor, council, and manager constitute a policy development and management team.

Since its establishment in the early 1900s, the council-manager form of local government has become the most popular form of government in the U.S. for cities with populations of 5,000 or greater. Currently, 3,625 cities in the U.S. operate under the council-manager system of local government.  Local governments have found overall that costs have actually been reduced with competent management that comes from hiring a professional manager.

© 2009 City of Denton, Texas