The lord mayor chairs meetings, but the role is otherwise principally ceremonial; a city manager performs the executive functions.
The mayor sets the strategic framework for all of London's 33 boroughs (including the Corporation of London) and has executive powers over a number of city-wide areas including transport (the mayor chairs Transport for London), policing, fire and emergency services, inward investment and, to a degree, regeneration and housing.
Because Springfield's mayor chaired the school committee and believed in the importance of having a strong city presence at the bargaining table, the chief negotiator and other officials from the city of Springfield also participated when the negotiations began in January 2010.
Even though he is sitting in the vice-mayor chair, I hope when the time comes for the next rotation that the remaining council members think long and hard before letting him be the face of Burbank.
A Latina won the mayor's chair in Topeka, Kan.
Mr. Flood, who still sits in the mayor's chair at board meetings, did not return a voice-mail message.
While there has never been a non-Anglo in the mayor's chair, Midland has seen several black and Latino officials serve in other capacities.
"You put an eighth grader in the mayor's chair," he said, "and they're like, 'I want to do that,' ".
He served his community with patience and equanimity as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Laurel Hollow, its Deputy Mayor, and Chair of its Board of Zoning Appeals.
A year ago I was asked by Boris Johnson, London's mayor, to chair an independent commission to examine London's health and how it might be improved.
