Form of Government

Council / Manager Form of Government 

The City of West Melbourne operates under the Council / Manager form of government, a form of government which began in the early part of the 1900s and is the predominate form of municipal government for cities the size of West Melbourne throughout the United States.

Under the Council / Manager Plan, the Mayor and City Council serve as the Board of Directors for the City, with the City Manager acting as Chief Administrative Officer. The City Council sets policy guiding the City's growth, development and future, and the City Manager implements Council-adopted policies.

Professional Local Government Manager 

This form of government brings a professional local government manager to run the day-to-day operations of the community. Additionally, the Council/Manager form of government is important in Florida with the various Government in the Sunshine laws affecting communications between elected officials.

City Manager Responsibilities 

As the Chief Administrative Officer, the City Manager is compared to a President of a corporation. In West Melbourne, the City Manager is responsible for the daily operations, for staffing all support employees, and hiring all City employees and department heads, as well as the efficient and effective use of funds approved by the City Council through the annual budget prepared by the City Manager.

Main Purpose of the Government 

The West Melbourne government's main purpose is to provide municipal services to the residents and businesses of the community in the most cost effective means available.

Services Provided

West Melbourne provides a full array of services such as:

• Building and Code Enforcement
• Financial Management
• Police Protection
• Records Management
• Road and Drainage Maintenance
• Sewer
• Utility Billing
• Water