The City of Harrisonburg operates under the "council/manager" form of government.
What is a council/manager form of government?
The council/manager system of local government combines elected officials in the form of a governing body with an appointed local government manager. The council/manager form of government establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected council and where the council hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services. (Source: International City/County Management Association)
How does the council/manager form differ from a strong mayor form?
In a strong mayor system the elected mayor is the administrative head of government. In a council/manager system the elected body appoints one council member to be mayor and hires a professional manager to attend to the day-to-day administrative needs of the city. Over 89 million Americans live in communities that are governed by a council/manager system.
[26.5KB] Organizational chart
- City Council information
- City Manager information
- City departments
- Clerk of Circuit Court - serves both Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County