What type of government is used by the City of Houston?

The City of Houston operates under a mayor-council government system, which combines the roles of an elected mayor with a city council. In this structure, the mayor serves as the chief executive officer of the city, overseeing the administration and executing the city's laws and policies. The mayor has substantial authority and control over the city’s operations, including the ability to appoint various department heads.

This system allows for a clear distinction between the legislative and executive branches of the city government, where the elected council is responsible for making laws and the mayor for enforcing them. Such a setup enables effective governance and fosters accountability, as both the mayor and council members are directly elected by the public, providing them with a mandate to serve the city’s residents.

The other forms of government listed do exist but are not utilized by Houston. In a council-manager system, for example, an elected council makes policy decisions while a professional city manager handles the day-to-day operations, which is not characteristic of Houston's structure. Similarly, commission government and town meeting government are less common and differ significantly in their organization and implementation when compared to the mayor-council system. Thus, recognizing Houston's governance structure as mayor-council is key to understanding how the city is managed and the roles