The Village of Germantown operates under a council-manager form, which is a system of local government that combines
the strong political leadership of elected officials, in the form of the President and Village Board, with the strong
managerial experience of an appointed Village Administrator. The plan establishes a representative system where all
power is concentrated in the Village Board as a whole and where the Board hires a professionally trained Village
Administrator to oversee the delivery of public services.
In the council-manager form of government, the President and Village Board are the elected leaders and policy makers
in the community who concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens’ needs and wishes. The Village
Administrator is appointed by the Village Board to carry out policy and ensure that the entire community is being
served. If the Administrator is not responsive to the Village Board’s wishes, the Board has authority to terminate
the Administrator at any time.
The Administrator makes policy recommendations to the President and Village Board, but the Village Board may or may
not adopt them and may change or modify them. The Village Administrator is bound by whatever action the Board takes.
The President in the council-manager form of government is a key political leader and policy developer. With the Village
Board, the President is responsible for soliciting citizen views in forming policies and interpreting them for the
public. The President presides at board meetings, serves as a spokesperson for the community, facilitates communication
and understanding between elected and appointed officials, assists the council in setting goals and in advocating
policy decisions, and serves as a promoter and defender of the community. In addition, the President serves as a key
representative in intergovernmental relations. The President, Village Board and Village Administrator constitute a
policy-development and management team.
Excerpted from ICMA ’s “The Council-Manager Form of Government: Answers to Your Questions”
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