Legal Definitions - commission plan

A commission plan is a structure of local government where a small group of elected officials holds both the authority to create laws and policies (legislative power) and the responsibility to implement and manage those laws and the daily operations of the municipality (executive power). In this system, the same individuals who vote on ordinances and set city-wide goals are also directly responsible for overseeing the administration of city departments and services.

• Example 1: In the city of Harmony, which operates under a commission plan, the five elected commissioners recently voted to approve a new zoning ordinance that allows for mixed-use developments in certain areas. Following this legislative act, one of the commissioners was assigned to work directly with the planning department to ensure the new ordinance was properly interpreted, communicated to developers, and enforced through the permit application process. This illustrates how the same body both made the law and took on the executive role of overseeing its implementation.

• Example 2: When the town of Lakeside, governed by a commission plan, needed to address a significant increase in local traffic, the elected commissioners held public meetings and ultimately passed a resolution to install new traffic lights at several intersections. Subsequently, the commission collectively decided on the specific type of traffic light system to purchase and then delegated one of its members to directly supervise the public works department in the procurement and installation of these new lights, demonstrating their dual role in policy-making and operational management.

• Example 3: Consider a small municipality where the elected commission is responsible for both setting the annual city budget and managing its expenditures. The commissioners would first debate and vote on how much money to allocate to departments like sanitation, parks, and public safety (a legislative function). After the budget is approved, these same commissioners would then oversee the department heads, monitor spending, and make executive decisions to ensure the city operates within the approved financial plan, thereby exercising both legislative and executive control.