Sipu Jha
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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