What makes a good mayor?  In my opinion, a good mayor has a good professional relationship with each council member. He or she has demonstrated this by meeting with them or talking with them individually to learn more of their desires and positions.   Being able to work as a team member and support other council members is integral to the successful mayor.    He or she is respectful of the council members’ opinions and allows sufficient time for them to make their point.  The good mayor does not push the council in a certain direction that is not consistent with the majority of the council’s position in order to further a personal agenda.  The good mayor is respected and probably generally liked by his/her fellow council members.

Meeting skills are extremely important. The good mayor has the ability to summarize the positions of the council and the citizens that spoke and move the council towards making a decision or taking some action (or deciding no action needed).   A mayor with institutional knowledge is extremely valuable when the discussion benefits from drawing in history or facts to shed some light.    Institutional knowledge is gained by having a history of working within the Town government or Town itself long enough to understand how things work.   The good mayor is patient and looks at all different viewpoints, taking time to weigh the good with the bad of any decision.  Interestingly, the mayor must constantly juggle between being political and somewhat neutral, retaining professionalism and calm when presenting the consensus of the council.   The good mayor represents the Town professionally outside of Town, building and maintaining good relationships with neighboring governments.

Finally, a good mayor not only works well with other council members, but works well with the Town staff.  Respecting the staff and not attacking it, supporting and appreciating their work, and making suggestions for improvement for the benefit of the Town is important for the good mayor and the council.