Council/Manager Form of Government
The City of Fayetteville adopted the council/manager form of municipal government in June 1949. This type of government was developed in Virginia in 1909 and today is the predominant form of local government in North Carolina.
Under the council/manager form of government, the Fayetteville City Council performs the legislative functions of the City, establishing laws and policies, sets strategic priorities and adopts the annual budget. The City Council appoints a manager who carries out the laws and policies enacted by Council. The City Manager is responsible for managing the City’s employees, and the finances and resources as the chief budget officer. The City Council also appoints an attorney, who represents the City administration and City Council in all legal matters.
City government is comparable to a private corporation under the council/manager form of government. Citizens are both stockholders and customers; the elected body represents the board of directors and the manager is the chief executive officer responsible for the daily operations of the corporation.
City Council
The Fayetteville City Council is the elected governing body representing the citizens of Fayetteville. Under the current electoral system, the City Council consists of nine council members and a mayor. All nine council members are elected from single member districts and only citizens within each district may vote for each district seat.
The mayor is elected at-large. A city resident wishing to become mayor must specifically run for that office. The mayor acts as the official head of City government and presides at City Council meetings. The mayor is a voting member of the Council. Council members and the mayor are not full-time City employees, but they are financially compensated for their time and certain expenses.
The mayor also appoints Council members to City Council committees and liaison positions.
In May 2000, voters approved the current election system of nine Council members elected by single-member districts and a voting mayor elected at large.
Terms of Office
All members of the Fayetteville City Council serve concurrent two-year terms following a citywide election held in early November in odd-numbered years. Council elections are nonpartisan and a primary election is held in October, only when more than two candidates vie for a specific seat.
Council Meetings
The Fayetteville City Council meets regularly in formal session on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Council meetings are held in the first floor Council Chamber of City Hall, 433 Hay St. The City televises regularly scheduled Council meetings live and on playback on FayTV. All meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public. The Council holds special meetings when necessary; notice of the meeting must be given to the public and media 48 hours before that meeting.
In 2005, City Council began holding informal work sessions on the first Monday of each month that begin at 2 p.m. These are informal meetings. Generally, no votes are taken. At these meetings, Council receives information and asks questions.
Citizen Participation
The Fayetteville City Council has established boards and commissions. The volunteers who are appointed to the boards and commissions serve as the link that connects the public to its governing body and serve as advisors who make recommendations that help shape the policies and programs of Fayetteville.
Appointees are to be city residents. Some appointees must have special licenses or meet certain professional requirements. Appointees are allowed to serve on no more than two boards or commissions at a time; providing that one of the two Boards and Commissions meet on an "as needed" basis and shall attend at least 75% of regularly scheduled meetings on an annual basis from the date of their appointment. Should an appointee fail to comply with the attendance requirement or fail to attend three regularly scheduled meetings, the appointee shall be automatically removed.