On Tuesday, April 1, voters in two Chicago suburbs—Bensenville and Maywood—firmly voiced their desire to retain the council-manager form of government. In both instances the sitting mayors led efforts to impose the Illinois “strong mayor” form of government. 

As part of their advocacy efforts, ICMA and the Illinois City/County Management Association (ILCMA) engaged with local organizers to help inform the communities about the distinctions between the two forms of government. ICMA and ILCMA representatives participated in public meetings, answered public questions, and engaged with advocates for council-manager government to strengthen their community outreach efforts. 

A central theme in both communities was the concern of increased government corruption. While both mayors have enjoyed strong political support in their office elections, opponents of the strong mayor system recognized the potential for future mayors to use government to serve and enrich the mayor and their political allies rather than support the needs and will of the people.

The desire to hold government accountable to effectively and efficiently utilize taxpayer dollars in delivering the programs and services necessary to achieve the vision of the community was consistently raised in these discussions. And based on the research, council-manager governments are more likely to deliver on those outcomes.

As ICMA continues to shape public understanding of professional management and the council-manager form of government, we demonstrate through independent research and case studies how best to achieve the desired goals of government accountability, reduced corruption, greater efficiency, more transparency, and effectiveness in achieving long-range goals. 

The form of government provides the parameters and guardrails necessary to increase the likelihood of achieving the goals and expectations of the people. However, council-manager governments outperforming strong mayor governments is due only in part to the form of government itself. The most significant factor in building public trust and making government work for the people rests in the knowledge, ability, and ethical leadership of professional managers/administrators in service to their communities. 

Need form-of-government assistance?

ICMA provides information, presentations, and other support to individuals and organizations interested in promoting professional management and the council-manager form of government. Contact Jason Grant at jgrant@icma.org. Learn more about donating to ICMA’s Future of Professional Management Fund.