Council–manager government

The council–manager government is one of two types of local government used in Canada as well as other countries, its counterpart being the mayor–council form. Council–manager governments are used almost exclusively by counties, while mayor–council governments are used by municipalities and municipal districts.

Unlike mayor-council governments, in which voters elect a single individual as mayor who then appoints his cabinet, council–manager governments instead consist of a council of between 10 and 15 councillors (also known as aldermen), who are each elected to the council by the jurisdiction's voters. The council is the collective head of government, and appoints the government's cabinet to oversee the multiple executive departments. The council then appoints a professional manager to handle the day-to-day executive affairs of the government (much like the manager or CEO of a corporation), including overseeing executive departments, while policy and other bigger-picture matters ultimately rest with the elected council, which can dismiss the manager and appoint a new one at its discretion.