CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

MAYOR, CITY OF PEKIN

5. What do you believe is the Mayor's role in the City Manager form of government?

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce: In the city manager form of government, the city council is responsible for legislative functions such as establishing policy, passing local ordinances, approving a budget, and developing an overall vision. The council is not involved in the day to day management or operations of the city - that is the responsibility of the city manager.

Mark A. Luft: The Mayors role in city government is first and foremost LEADERSHIP – I believe it is the Mayor’s role to bring the City Council, Corporate Council, City Manager and Staff together as ONE team. It is important to have all entities on the on the same page, as a foundation of our community and the direction we are heading. The Mayor position has a responsibility to build a strong and positive and reflection of our community and our local government.

John McCabe: As mayor, I believe it is necessary to establish a good working relationship with the city manager. We both need to be able to trust each other. This trust can be achieved by both of us having a clear understanding of the other’s roles and goals concerning the community. It is imperative that the mayor does not try to micromanage the city manager and staff. However, it cannot be overlooked that the mayor and council are the city manager’s boss. It is also the mayor’s responsibility to listen to all the concerns of all members of the community. Then the mayor, in conjunction with the rest of the council, sets policy and assigns tasks to the city manager and staff to complete according to the council’s instructions.