The Mayor is *always* the highest title held in acity government. The Mayor serves as Chairman of theCity Council. The City Council proposes bills, holds votes, and passes municipal ordinances in the city. In many cases, the Mayor himself/herself has the authority to veto a decision made by the city council.The City Council usually appoints a Municipal Court Judge and City Manager, making the Judge and City Manager under the City Council.It all varies city by city, but this is how it normally works.The court judge presides over municipal hearings. City courts are called "Courts of limited jurisdiction" which means they have authority to preside over infractions, local ordinances, misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors.The City Manager has the following primary responsibilities:* Supervising day-to-day operations of all city departments;* Supervising the department heads;* Preparing a draft city budget each year with options the council votes on;* Researching and making recommendations about topics of interest to the council;* Meeting with citizens and citizen groups to understand their needs better;* Providing executive leadership that encourages good performance by city workers;* Operating the city with a professional understanding of how all city functions operate together to their best effect.Typically,city managershave hire-fire authority over all city employees, though these decisions may be required to be approved by the council, and must comply with locally applicable civil service laws. This authority includes talent searches for "department heads" who are the managers of the city departments.The City Manager (Or in some cases, the Council) is responsible for appointing a Parks Director. The Parks Director is the one responsible for the basic upkeep of City Parks and Recreational events.The City Attorney works in the legal aspect of the city, and is usually hired by the Mayor/Council.The Police and Fire Chief are also usually appointed by either the Mayor and City Council or the City Manager.
