What Does a Mayor Do?
Vol. III, No. 82 - Understanding the Roles and Responsibilites of the cCty's Chief Executive Officer
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When most people think of a mayor, they picture ribbon cuttings, parades, and ceremonial speeches. While those maybe the most visible parts of the job, the real duties of a mayor—especially in Troy—are much more substantial and are guided by state law.
Troy is a statutory city, which means its government structure is spelled out by the Ohio Revised Code. Under the law, the mayor serves as the chief executive officer of the city and the chief conservator of peace. The mayor oversees city operations, sets priorities, and holds final decision-making power on executive matters.
One of the mayor’s most important responsibilities is appointing and, if necessary, removing the Director of Public Service and Safety. This director serves as the city’s chief administrative officer, managing day-to-day operations, supervising staff, and advising the mayor. Although the director brings professional expertise—often backed by education in public administration, engineering, or finance—the mayor, elected every four years, is accountable directly to the people of Troy.
This partnership between mayor and director works best when both roles are clearly defined. The mayor provides leadership and vision, representing the needs and desires of residents. The director ensures those goals are carried out efficiently within city operations. Problems arise when the balance shifts and the mayor is treated as a ceremonial figure while unelected administrators run the city. That kind of arrangement undermines public accountability and weakens trust in local government.
City Council plays an important, but more limited, role. In a statutory city, council is primarily responsible for passing ordinances, setting broad policy, and approving how tax dollars are spent. The mayor has the power to veto council decisions, though council can override that veto under certain circumstances. This creates a system of checks and balances, similar in some ways to the relationship between Congress and the President at the federal level.
Together, this structure ensures that both democratic accountability and professional management are built into Troy’s local government. The mayor stands before the public, elected to act on community priorities, while the director and city staff work to manage the complexities of daily operations.
At its strongest, Troy’s system blends executive leadership with administrative expertise. A mayor who is actively engaged with residents helps set goals that reflect community needs. Skilled administrators then use their training to carry those goals out effectively. The result is a government that not only delivers essential services—such as safety, infrastructure, and planning—but also remains responsive and accountable to the people it serves.
Understanding these roles reminds us that local government is more than ceremony. In Troy, the mayor is not simply a ribbon-cutter—they are the chief executive, with the responsibility to guide city priorities, protect public interests, and ensure that government works for everyone.
A New Handbook to grow Civic Capacity!
Recently, we created a new digital handbook, “The Citizen’s Guide to Public Records”. This handbook is designed to help residents have a better understanding of public meetings and meeting records. It’s filled with templates, ideas and other information that will open a new world of public affairs.
Also, if you have ideas for future handbooks, please let us know at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Want to Learn More About Troy’s Businesses?
Our publication has recently released our August 2025 Economic Abstract, the most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the businesses and industries in the City of Troy. For those that want to understand our community’s business and industries, this is a must-have report.
Thank you to our New Media Partners!
Recently, many of our stories has been showing up on the local news website, www.mymiamicounty.com. We are grateful for the good folks for sharing our work with their audience and we would encourage our readers to check them out at their website!
Our publication would also like to recognize the good work being done at www.piquanewsnow.com. Piqua News Now is a new web-based news and information site for the Miami County area, with a specific focus on Piqua!
In addition, the good folks at Piqua News Now have started a new, 24-hour streaming YouTube channel. This channel is awesome with continuous weather updates and more importanly, it provides a 24-hour audio feed from county wide dispatch. Check it out here!
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