Government of San Jose


The government of San Jose, officially the City of San José, operates as a charter city within California law under the San José City Charter. The elected government of the city, which operates as a council–manager government, is composed of the Mayor of San Jose, the San Jose City Council, and several other elected offices.
The greater public administration of San Jose includes numerous entities, including the San Jose Police Department, the San Jose Fire Department, and the San Jose Public Library, as well as a mix of state and county level institutions.

Organization

San Jose utilizes a council–manager government, composed of the mayor, city council, several elected officers, and numerous other entities.

Mayor

Sam Liccardo

Current mayor

The Mayor of San Jose is the head of the executive branch of the city government. Under the City Charter, the Mayor is responsible for recommending policy, program, and budget priorities to the City Council, which in turn approves policy direction for the City. The mayor has the responsibility to enforce all city laws, administer and coordinate city departments and intergovernmental activities, set forth policies and agendas to the City Council, and prepare and submit the city budget at the end of each fiscal year. The mayor serves a four-year term and is limited to two successive terms. If the mayor dies or resigns, the President of the Board of Supervisors assumes the office as acting mayor.

Former mayors

City Council

The legislative body is composed of the 11-member San Jose City Council, which is made up of 10 councilmembers, each representing and elected by a district, and the Mayor of San Jose elected citywide. The City Council is empowered by the City Charter to formulate citywide policy, adopt laws or ordinances, and approve city budgets.

Council appointees

The City Council appoints five officials to manage the City organization and support the City Council for effective governance: