City of Hastings Leadership

The Mayor and City Council are the legislative and policy making body for the City of Hastings government. The Mayor is responsible for chairing Council meetings, making various appointments, and overseeing the Hastings Police Department.

The Mayor and six City Council members are elected to alternating four year terms. Elections are held in November of the even numbered years. In 2006, the Mayor and two At Large Council seats were on the ballot. For information on elections, visit our Elections page.

The Mayor and Council are elected to make decisions on behalf of Hastings' approximately 20,000 residents. They adopt and oversee the City's annual budget and set the annual property tax levy as one of the funding sources for the budget. The Mayor and Council also are responsible for policy decisions ranging from land use and subdivision applications to program development and awards of contracts.

The Mayor and Council encourage public participation in their decisions through citizen input at meetings, public hearings, neighborhood meetings, and advisory commissions.

In the Council-Administrator form of government, the City Administrator is responsible for carrying out the directions of the Council majority. In this way, the Mayor and Council can focus on "big picture" issues while they oversee the Administrator who manages the day-to-day operations of the City.