In an era of state preemption, by which state governments (often Republican) increasingly limit the ability of large-city mayors (often Democratic) to implement policies, the role of mayors is shifting and mayors across the United States are finding innovative ways to preserve local control.

Yet the loopholes they find, no matter how creative, are often inadequate to surmount restrictive state policies and enable communities to meet pressing needs in housing, food insecurity, public health, safety, climate, and elsewhere.

How can this logjam be overcome? While many challenges remain, mayors are finding ways to strengthen local governance and local democratic control.

Why The Role of Mayor Matters to Local Governance

At the Mayors Innovation Project’s 2024 summer meeting—held in Knoxville, TN—Reverend Harold Middlebrook’s voice reverberated: “Washington is not going to come down to pave these streets!”

Indeed, as leaders of the executive branch of local government, US mayors play a significant role in shaping the day-to-day lives of everyday Americans. Tasked with everything from keeping communities safe to cultivating thriving local economies, mayors are often the political first responders to the compounding crises of our time.

However, over the past few decades, mayors have been subject to increasing constraints. Most notorious has been state preemption, a legislative tool state governments use to remove city jurisdiction over key issues. Because cities tend to vote more “Democratic” than states (where often rural and suburban voters dominate), the most common effect of preemption laws is blocked progressive legislation.

The state sets these limits in many places. A 2018 National League of Cities report noted, for example, that in 28 states, cities are banned from setting minimum wages higher than state levels. This has resulted in city bills to raise local minimum wages being blocked in places like Louisville, KY, and Kansas City, MO. Other local policies, the report notes, are also restricted, including laws mandating paid leave, rent control, and immigrant sanctuary policies, among others.

Read the full article about the role of mayors by Nairuti Shastry at Nonprofit Quarterly.