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MAYORAL EXECUTIVE SYSTEM WHAT IS THE MAYORAL EXECUTIVE SYSTEM? The mayoral executive system allows for the exercise of executive authority through an executive mayor. The executive leadership of the municipality is vested in this individual. The executive mayor may be assisted by a mayoral committee. In this system, the municipal council elects one member of council as the executive mayor, and delegates executive powers and duties to that person. If the MEC for local government approves, the municipal council may also elect a deputy executive mayor. The deputy executive mayor exercises the powers and performs the duties of the executive mayor if the executive mayor is absent or not available. If a municipal council has more than nine members, its executive mayor must establish a mayoral committee. The mayoral committee consists of councillors appointed by the executive mayor to serve on the mayoral committee. The mayoral executive system differs from the collective executive system in two important ways:
WHEN WOULD A MAYORAL EXECUTIVE SYSTEM WORK WELL? The election of an individual executive leader (the executive mayor) has several advantages. Perhaps the key advantage is that it "puts a face" to local government. Currently, many people do not know who is responsible for governing the area where they live. They experience local government as a "faceless" set of committees. It is not clear who can be held accountable for decisions that the municipal council makes. An executive mayor gives a human face to local government. This makes it easier for ordinary people to relate to the leadership of their local area. It also makes it clear where "the buck stops". In other words, the councillor who accounts for the performance of the municipality is well known to residents. The mayoral executive system also provides for decisive leadership and rapid and responsive decision-making. This will be particularly useful in larger and complex municipalities. Many large international cities, such as London, are moving to a mayoral executive system. Large cities are often home to a diversity of strong local, national and global interest groups. We have all heard the phrase, most often from business, that "we like to know whom we're dealing with". A charismatic Executive Mayor can play an important role in inspiring business confidence, and building beneficial relationships between the municipal council and different interest groups. The mayoral executive system may also work well in rural or other municipal councils that have a limited range of powers and duties and cover large geographical areas. In these areas, where councillors have to travel long distances to attend committee meetings, the election of an executive mayor could minimise the need for committees to meet, and enable faster and more effective decision-making. MAYORAL COMMITTEES If a municipal council has more than nine members, the executive mayor must appoint a mayoral committee to assist with the exercise of mayoral powers and performance of duties. In these municipal councils, the executive mayor may choose to appoint any councillor to serve on the mayoral committee. If the municipal council has elected a deputy executive mayor, he or she must be a member of the mayoral committee. The Municipal Structures Act provides guidelines on the size of the mayoral committee:
The executive mayor may delegate specific responsibilities to each member of the mayoral committee. This means that the mayoral committee will function very much like the Cabinet at national and provincial level. Any powers and duties delegated to the executive mayor by the municipal council must be exercised and performed by the executive mayor together with the other members of the mayoral committee. This ensures some sort of check and balance on the performance of the executive mayor. If the executive mayor vacates office, the mayoral committee appointed by that executive mayor dissolves. The executive mayor may also dismiss members of the committee. HOW IS THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR ELECTED? The Municipal Structures Act defines a process for the election of the executive mayor. If an MEC for local government allows a municipal council to elect a deputy executive mayor, the same process must be used. This process also applies to the election of a mayor, deputy mayor or Speaker, and is described in Annexure A. Once elected, the executive mayor remains in office until the next municipal council is declared elected, or until the executive mayor:
No person may hold office as the executive mayor or deputy executive mayor for more than two consecutive terms. If a person is elected to fill a vacancy in the office of executive mayor or deputy executive mayor, the period between that election and the next election of an executive mayor or deputy executive mayor is regarded as a term. An executive mayor whose two consecutive terms have expired may not immediately after the expiry be elected as deputy executive mayor. These rules also apply to mayors and deputy mayors in the collective executive system. Introduction | Responsibilities of municipal councils | Delegation of powers and duties | Community participation and accountability | Municipal types | Systems of municipal government | Plenary executive system | Collective executive system | Mayoral executive system | Executive powers, duties and committees | The ward participatory system | The subcouncil participatory system | Combining the systems of government to form municipal types | Applying types to individual municipalities | Conclusion | Annexure A | Annexure B Back to Types Of Municipalities Table of Contents | Back to booklets |
