What is the commission-manager form of government?
As defined in The Commission-Manager Form of Government: Answers to Your Questions, “the commission-manager form is the system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a commission or other governing body, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The form establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected commission and where the commission hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.” Proponents of this form of government argue that the separation of administrative and legislative functions is necessary to increase efficiency and supplement the functions of elected supervisors, who are part-time in many counties, and that the issues are now so complex that a full-time expert in administration is needed. (Salant, 1989) What is the history of this form of government and where is it found? The first county to adopt this
