Chapter 30, Student Web Activities, Texas and Texans, Glencoe, 2003

Chapter 30: Local Government
"The Mayor's Job"

Introduction
It is hard to imagine living in our complex world without the services of local governments. Local governments give us many of today's modern conveniences, such as running water, sewage treatment, electricity, police protection, emergency services, hospitals, education, highways, and airports, to name a few. If this surprises you, you are not alone. Many citizens are unfamiliar with the workings of local governments. Yet local governments affect the lives of citizens every day, from early morning until late at night. In this activity, you will learn more about the type of local government known as the mayor-council form.

Destination Title: The Handbook of Texas Online

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Directions
Start at The Handbook of Texas Online Web site.

Scroll down and click on M under "Alphabetical Listing of Articles."
Scroll down and click on Mayor-Council Form of City Government.
Read the information provided.

After you have read through the information, answer the following questions.

1. In a general mayor-council form of city government, what are the duties of the mayor?

2. What are the two types of mayor-council government?

3. How are the mayor's duties limited in the weak mayor-council type of government? What are the powers of the mayor in the strong mayor-council type of government?

4. What two large cities had strong mayor-council types of government in the early 1990s?

5. Imagine that you must advertise for a new mayor. In the space below, write a job description for the office of mayor that would appear in the help-wanted section of the newspaper. Identify the leadership qualities you believe a person needs to have to function well in this public position. Use descriptive but accurate information to entice a person to apply for the job.