LWV-UV Member Bulletin

Is a Strong Mayor System the Direction Citizens of the City of Montrose Want to Move Towards?

Across the United States, cities generally operate under one of two common forms of government: the Mayor-Council system or the Council-Manager system.

View link to understand how leadership responsibilities are organized in each of the two systems of city governance. 

How Is A City Governed?

The City of Montrose operates under a Council-Manager form of government, a model used by thousands of communities across the country.

According to the Montrose County Republican Central Committee monthly meeting minutes dated September 10, 2026, Mayor Badagliacco stated that the city council will be working on fixing contradictions in the City Charter. He further stated that they are working to "give power back to the elected council."

Twice in the recent WKRP Montrose discussion the mayor talked about changing from our current council-manager (legislative-executive) form of municipal government to a strong mayor form where the elected mayor would be the CEO of the City of Montrose.

Is transitioning to a strong mayor system the direction residents of the City of Montrose want to move towards? Do residents want one person to rule the city? Will the Mayor have veto power over the City Council? The City Council is not an arm of a political party. The City Council and the Mayor represent each resident, regardless of party affiliation. The potential for chaos will occur each time there's a change in elected leadership.

We would no longer have a separation of powers across the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of our local government. We would no longer have a professional city manager. We would have a politician in charge of running the day-to-day operations of Montrose.

Citizens of Montrose, when you cast your votes on the proposed amendments to the City Charter which are on the November ballot, know what you are voting for.