Mayor: Difference between revisions

In Germany, local government is regulated by [[states of Germany|state]] statutes. Nowadays only the mayors of the three city-states (Berlin, Hamburg and [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]]) are still elected by the respective city-state parliaments. In all the other states the mayors are now elected directly by the [[EU citizen]]s living in that area. The post of mayor may be said to be a professional one, the mayor being the head of the local government, and requiring, in order to be eligible, training in administration. In big cities (details are regulated by state statutes) the official title is {{Lang|de|Oberbürgermeister}} ([[lord mayor]]). In these cities, a "simple" mayor is just a deputy responsible for a distinct task (e.g., welfare or construction works). Big cities are usually ''[[Kreisfreie Stadt|kreisfrei]]'' ('district-free'). That means that the city council also has the powers and duties of a rural district council. The leader of a rural district council is called {{Lang|de|Landrat}} ('land counsellor'). In that case, the chief mayor has also the duties and powers of a {{Lang|de|Landrat}}.

But there are also some German states that allow smaller cities to have a ''Oberbürgermeister'' as well. In [[Saarland]], for instance, every city with more than 35,000 inhabitants has one, and in [[Saxony-Anhalt]] every city with a population bigger than 25,000 has one.

The term {{Lang|de|Oberbürgermeister}} is not used in the three city-states, where the mayors are simultaneously [[minister-president|head of state governments]], but {{Lang|de|Regierender Bürgermeister}} ([[Governing Mayor of Berlin]]), {{Lang|de|Erster Bürgermeister}} ([[First Mayor of the city-state of Hamburg]]) and {{Lang|de|Präsident des Senats und Bürgermeister}} ([[Mayor of Bremen|President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen]]) are used. However, the term {{Lang|de|Oberbürgermeister}} was used for the head of the state government of [[West Berlin]] until 1951, and was also used in [[East Berlin]] from 1948 to January 1991.

In [[India]], the mayor is leader of the council and has a number of roles, both legislative and functional. In most Indian states mayors are elected indirectly among the council members themselves, except in nine states: [[Bihar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Haryana]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Odisha]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Telangana]] and [[Uttarakhand]], where mayors are elected directly by the public.

In [[Indonesia]], mayor ({{lang-id|wali kota}}, formerly called {{Lang|id|walikotamadya}} and {{Lang|id|walikota}}) is a regional head of a city or town. A mayor has the same level as a [[regent]] (''bupati''), head of a regency (''kabupaten''). Basically, a mayor has the duty and authority to lead the implementation of the policies established by the region along with the city council (''Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Kota'', DPRD Kota; formerly called Tier 2-DPRD (''DPRD Tingkat II'')). A mayor is elected in a pair with a vice mayor through direct elections and is a political office. An exception is [[Jakarta|Special Capital Region of Jakarta]], where mayoralty is a civil-service career position with limited authority and is designated by [[Governor of Jakarta|the governor]]. Their region are called [[Jakarta#Administrative divisions|administration cities]] (''kota administrasi'').

Japan's [[Local Autonomy Law|Local-Autonomy Law]] of 1947 defines the structure of Japanese local governments, which were strengthened after World War II. It gives strong executive power to the mayor in the local politics like [[mayor-council government#Executive or Strong Mayor Form|strong mayors]] in large cities in the United States of America.

The titles that are translated as ''mayor'' by the governments are those of the heads of [[cities of Japan|cities]] {{Nihongo||市長|shichō}}, [[towns of Japan|towns]] {{Nihongo||町長|chōchō}}, [[villages of Japan|villages]] {{Nihongo||村長|sonchō}}, and Tokyo's [[special wards of Tokyo|special wards]] {{Nihongo||区長|kuchō}} (The head of the [[Tokyo|Tokyo prefecture]] is the {{Nihongo|Governor|知事|Chiji}}).

In Kazakhstan, the mayor is called ''[[akim]]'', who is the head of an {{Lang|kk|akimat}}, a municipal, district, or provincial government ({{Lang|kk|mayorat}}), and serves as the presidential representative. {{Lang|kk|Akim}}''s'' of provinces and cities are appointed to the post by the president on the advice of the prime minister. Meanwhile, the {{Lang|kk|akim}}''s'' of other administrative and territorial units are appointed or selected to the post in an order defined by the president. He may also dismiss {{Lang|kk|akim}}''s'' from their posts. The {{Lang|kk|akims}}' powers end upon the newly elected president of the republic taking office. Thus, the {{Lang|kk|akim}} continues to fulfill their duties before the appointment of the corresponding {{Lang|kk|akim}} by the President of Kazakhstan.

In Malta, the mayor ([[Maltese language|Maltese]]: {{Lang|mt|sindku}}) is the leader of the majority party in the [[Local councils of Malta|local council]]. The members of the local Ccuncils are directly elected and collectively serve as a basic form of local government.

The mayor of the municipality in Moldova is elected for four years. In [[Chişinău]], the last mayoral elections had to be repeated three times because of the low rate of participation.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Mayors in [[Poland]] are [[direct election|directly elected]] by inhabitants of their respective [[municipality]]. A mayor is the sole chief of the [[executive branch]] of the municipality and cannot serve in the municipal council ([[city council]]) or in the [[parliament]]. Mayors may appoint a deputy mayor if needed. In Poland mayor is called a {{Lang|pl|burmistrz}} or, in towns with more than 100,000 inhabitants or other municipalities that traditionally use the title, {{Lang|pl|prezydent}} ('president', for example, 'President of [[Warsaw]]' instead of 'Mayor of Warsaw'). The equivalent title in a rural community (''[[gmina]]'') is ''[[wójt]]''.

A mayor is elected for a five-year term concurrently with the five-year term of the municipal council. Mayors cannot be dismissed by the municipal council, but they can be removed from the office by the citizens of their municipality in a [[referendum]]. Mayors can also be dismissed by the [[prime minister]] in case of persistent transgression of the law. Citizens having a criminal record cannot run for mayor, but only if sentenced for intentional criminal offence prosecuted [[ex officio]].

Mayors manage the municipal estate, issues minor regulations, and incurs [[liability (financial accounting)|liabilities]] within limits set by the municipal council. Mayors present a budget to the municipal council, that may be then amended by the council. After the municipal council passes the budget in a form of resolution, the mayor is responsible for its realization. Mayors are the head of the [[town hall]] and the [[register office]] (the mayor may appoint deputies for these specific tasks). Mayors legally act as employers for all of the officials of the town hall. Mayors in Poland have wide administrative authority: the only official that the mayor cannot appoint or dismiss is a [[city treasurer]], who is appointed by a city council. Although mayors in Poland do not have veto power over city council resolutions, their position is relatively strong and should be classified as a [[mayor-council government]].

In [[Romania]] the mayor of a commune, town or city is called {{Lang|ro|primar}}. He or she is elected for a period of four years. In carrying out his responsibilities he is assisted by an elected local council ({{Lang|ro|consiliu local}}). [[Bucharest]] has a general mayor ({{Lang|ro|primar general}}) and six sector mayors ({{Lang|ro|primar de sector}}), one for each [[Sectors of Bucharest|sector]]. The responsibilities of the mayor and of the local council are defined by Law 215/2001 of the Romanian Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=APD-Timișoara |title=Legea nr. 215/2001 |url=http://legislatie.resurse-pentru-democratie.org/legea/215-2001.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104170314/http://legislatie.resurse-pentru-democratie.org/legea/215-2001.php |archive-date=4 November 2014 |access-date=13 December 2014 |website=resurse-pentru-democratie.org}}</ref>

According to Medialogy,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.mlg.ru/ratings/mayors/2949/6/2014/4/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222162625/http://www.mlg.ru/ratings/mayors/2949/6/2014/4/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |access-date=14 June 2014}}</ref> the {{Lang|ru-latn|mer}} of [[Novosibirsk]], Anatoly Lokot', is mentioned in the media more than any other Russian mayor.  The {{Lang|ru-latn|mer}} of [[Kazan]], Il'sur Metshin, is the most popular in Russia, scoring 76 out of 100, according to the Russian People's Rating of {{Lang|ru-latn|Mer}}''s''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Регионы России: Рейтинг Мэров (Май, 2014) |url=http://russia-rating.ru/info/1530.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220100742/http://russia-rating.ru/info/1530.html |archive-date=20 February 2015 |access-date=14 June 2014 |website=russia-rating.ru}}</ref>

The function and title for mayor vary from one canton to another. Generally, the mayor presides an executive council of several members governing a [[municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]].

In the [[Republic of China]] in Taiwan the mayor is the head of city's government and its city's council, which is in charge of legislative affairs. The mayor and city council are elected separately by the city's residents.

Mayors ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: {{Lang|tr|belediye başkanı}}) in Turkey are elected by popular vote for five years alongside the municipal council. As a rule, there are municipalities in all province centers and district centers as well as towns ({{lang-tr|belde}}) which are actually villages with a population in excess of 2000. However beginning by 1983, a new level of municipality is introduced in Turkish administrative system. In big cities, metropolitan municipalities ({{lang-tr|Büyükşehir belediyesi}}) are established. (See [[metropolitan municipalities in Turkey]]) In a metropolitan municipality there may be several district municipalities (hence mayors). Mayors are elected in [[Elections in Turkey|local elections.]]

Since 2015 a post of {{Lang|uk-latn|starosta}} ('elder') is being implemented at lower level of the administrative-territorial pyramid. Candidates to the post are also elected by members of the territorial community ({{Lang|uk-latn|hromada}}). The post is historical and existed in the territory of Ukraine during the times of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]].

In several countries, where there is not local [[autonomy]], mayors are often appointed by some branch of the national or regional government. In some cities, subdivisions such as [[borough]]s may have their own mayors; this is the case, for example, with the [[arrondissement]]s of Paris, [[Montreal]], and [[Mexico City]]. In Belgium [[Brussels]] is administratively one of the federation's three regions, and is subdivided, without the other regions' provincial level, into 19 rather small municipalities, with one, the [[City of Brussels]], being the kingdom's capital, which each have an elected—formally appointed—burgomaster (i.e., mayor, responsible to his/her elected council); while [[Antwerp]], the other major metropolitan area, has one large city (where the boroughs, former municipalities merged into it, elect a lower level, albeit with very limited competence) and several smaller surrounding municipalities, each under a normal burgomaster as in Brussels.