How does a commission form of city government organize executive and legislative power?

In a commission form of city government, the traditional separation between executive and legislative branches is merged into a single body. Under this system, voters elect a small group of commissioners—typically three, five, or seven members—who collectively exercise both legislative and executive powers.123

The organization of these powers functions as follows:

• Legislative Power: The commission acts as a unified body to formulate and pass city ordinances and policies.31
• Executive Power: Each individual commissioner is assigned to serve as the head of one or more specific municipal departments (such as public works, finance, or public safety), directly administering those areas.231
• Leadership: The presiding commissioner generally holds the title of mayor, though their role is often primarily to chair the commission rather than to act as a separate executive authority.3

While this model was more common in the early 20th century, it has largely been superseded in many municipalities by the council-manager system, which separates the legislative role of the council from the administrative duties of a professional city manager.23