Form of Government
The City of Oshkosh operates under the council-manager form of government. The council-manager form of government was created in the early 1900’s during Wisconsin’s Progressive Era of politics and was seen as a method to provide efficient local government with less political influence and potential corruption.
Under council-manager government, voters elect a non-partisan council who exercises all legislative and general ordinance powers, and who then select and employ a city manager. The manager, who serves at the pleasure of the council, must be selected on merit, based on professional training and experience in municipal management.
The manager acts as the chief executive and administrative officer.
Oshkosh adopted the council-manager form of government via a referendum in 1956. In 1978, the council changed the name of the council president to mayor and granted the mayor the responsibility to appoint, subject to council approval, all board and commission members, but specifically reaffirmed that the city manager retained all other executive and administrative powers conferred by statute. In 2004, another voter referendum gave Oshkosh voters the authority to directly elect the mayor seat on the council.
Oshkosh elects six council members and a mayor on a non-partisan basis, at large, for 2-year overlapping terms. The mayor is a member of the council and votes on resolutions and ordinances in the same manner as every other council member; presides over meetings of the council; performs certain ceremonial duties; and makes appointments to the city’s boards and commissions, subject to the approval of the council as a whole. Council members and the mayor receive a small salary for their work on the council and city’s boards and commissions.
The council acts as a body. Neither the mayor nor any other individual council member has the authority to act, expend funds, enter contracts, enact legislation or take any other action without consensus of the other members of the council. The council makes long range policy decisions for the city, adopts the annual city budget prepared and presented by the city manager, and levies property taxes upon property within the city. The council also enacts new city laws, and may amend or repeal existing laws.
The city manager implements the policies adopted by the council; appoints, supervises and removes department heads and other city employees with the exception of the police and fire departments who are appointed by the police and fire commission, and the library director, who is appointed by the library board; directs general city operations; signs contracts and other documents; acts as the city’s spokesperson; and prepares the city’s annual budget within parameters established by the council.
