Not ceremonial like in India, US mayors are CEOs of cities

Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP)

As New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani will take his place among stronger American mayors who essentially act as city CEOs with wide powers ranging from budget-making to appointments. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are among cities that follow the ‘strong-mayor system’, where mayors don’t report to a political executive, like in India, but draw their powers directly from the Constitution and hence enjoy much more autonomy. How different are Indian and American mayors? Let’s take a look.Ceremonial Vs Executive Power

In most Indian cities, the mayor is largely ceremonial, with little executive authority. Real executive power lies with the municipal commissioner, usually an IAS officer appointed by state govt

Even in major metros like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi or Chennai, the mayor is not a true executive authority. Powers vary based on the type of governance a city follows, but all mayors report to their political bosses

In a strong-mayor US system, the mayor exercises full control over the administration, with authority that is independent of the state or the federal govt

Strong Mayors Vs Weak Mayors

In US, authority and responsibilities of mayors vary widely, depending on form of municipal govt adopted by each city and its city charter or local constitution. In a ‘strong-mayor system’ – like in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta – the mayor has substantial powers, including appointing and removing department heads, preparing the budget, and vetoing council decisions

In a ‘weak-mayor’ system – Portland, Charlotte, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Cincinnati and Sacramento, for example – the mayor’s power is restricted; many executive functions are shared with the city council

Some US cities – such as Seattle, Boston Denver and San Diego – have a ‘hybrid’ system, where there is a ‘strong-mayor’ system, but balanced by an active council or citizen commissions.

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