In Lewisville, the Mayor and Town Council serve part-time and are elected on a non-partisan basis. Under the council-manager form of government, the Town Council acts as the legislative body in establishing policy and law and the Town Manager handles the day-to-day management of the Town organization.
The Mayor
The Mayor is elected at-large (town-wide) for a two-year term and serves as the presiding officer at town council meetings and as the official head of the city for ceremonial purposes. In Lewisville, the Mayor also votes on all matters before the council. The six Town Council Members are elected at-large (town-wide) on two-year terms. The Town Council appoints a professional Town Manager, who serves as the Council’s chief advisor, and the Town Manager appoints the employees of the Town.
The Town Manager
The Town Manager is the CEO of the Town government and is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Town. When the Town Council makes a decision on an ordinance, law, or policy, the Town Manager is responsible for implementing those policies. The Manager coordinates the operations of all Town departments and is responsible for the preparation of a proposed operating budget and its presentation to the Town Council. This annual budget as adopted by Council provides funding, staffing, and general guidance to the Town departments for the fiscal year.
The council-manager form has become the most popular type of local government in the United States in communities with a population of 5,000 or greater. North Carolina cities and counties helped pioneer the form and all North Carolina local governments of significant size operate under this form of government.