The council-manager government is one of two main variations of representative municipal government in the United States that began in Staunton, Virginia in 1908. This system of government is used in the majority of American cities with populations over 12,000. When a city has a council-manager form of government, the elected city council usually hires a city manager to oversee the day-to-day management of the city employees. In these cities, the position of Mayor is either a ceremonial position, or does not exist.
