Government in the City of Mason

Originally settled as the village of Palmyra in 1815 by Major William Mason, the community was renamed in his honor 20 years later. Voters approved a governing charter in 1969, and the City of Mason became incorporated in 1971.

The city charter establishes guidelines for its operations. Mason is a home-rule city with a council/manager form of government. The legislative body of Mason consists of a mayor and six council members who are responsible for setting the policies of the city. City Council hires the city manager, who is charged with administering the operations of city government and implementing policies enacted by Council.

The council/manager form of local government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a council, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed city manager. The mayor and council members are the leaders and policymakers elected to represent various segments of the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens' needs and wishes. The city manager carries out policy and ensures that the entire community is being served.

City Council consists of seven members who are elected at-large on a nonpartisan basis to serve 4-year terms of office, with a limit of two consecutive terms. The mayor is a council member elected by his or her fellow council members, and serves as the executive head of Council. The council also selects the vice mayor, who performs the duties of the mayor in his or her absence.

The city manager provides policy assistance to City Council and manages the day-to-day operations of the city with support from his immediate staff. This staff includes the assistant city manager, human resources director, economic development staff, an assistant to the city manager, public information officer, information technology manager, and support staff.

The city manager has full authority over the appointment and removal of all municipal personnel. Department heads are responsible solely to the city manager for carrying out the mission and responsibilities of their departments. Department heads include the finance director, the city engineer, the police chief, the parks and recreation director, the fire chief, and superintendents of Public Utilities and Public Works. The department heads, together, with the immediate administrative team, make up the city manager's leadership team.

The City of Mason has approximately 150 full-time employees and over 300 part-time staff. It has a current total annual budget of over $60 million.