Skip to main content

Voices. Knowledge. Solutions.

Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government Monthly Quiz

​True or False: The council form of government is often called  “governance by committee” because of shared powers.

Answer: True
The “governance by committee” phrase reflects that, under this form, the mayor and the councilmembers equally share legislative and administrative authority. The mayor may exercise informal authority as a leader of council and as a spokesperson for the city. However, a mayor presiding at council meetings does so by tradition, not because of state law. To exercise administrative functions, the mayor or a member of council must receive authorization from council, and council may revoke the designated authority. 

The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government offers in-person and online courses. To register for the on-demand courses, go to the Municipal Association's website and log in with your user identification number and password. The on-demand courses can be accessed 24/7 from any computer, tablet or mobile device that has internet connection and may be taken in any order.