About Our City Government

The City of Tualatin uses the Council-Manager form of government. The council-manager form is the system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a governing body, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The governing body, commonly known as the council, may also be referred to as the commission or the board. The council-manager form establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected council and where the council hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.

In council-manager government, the mayor or chairperson of the governing body and council members are the leaders and policy makers elected to represent the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizen's needs and wishes. The manager is appointed by the governing body to carry out policy and ensure that the entire community is being served effectively. The manager oversees all city staff and is fully accountable to the governing body.