In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town.
Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play a solely ceremonial role. Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Mayor, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.