Marion operates under the Mayor-Council Planof city government. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term and all executiveauthority is vested in that office. Six City Council Members are elected everytwo years and manage the City’s legislative affairs. The hallmark of theMayor-Council Plan is this separation of legislative and executive powers.

The Mayor’s executive andadministrative powers, duties, and responsibilities are routinely handled by anon-elected city officer, the City Administrator. However, the Mayor presidesover meetings of the Council, approves or vetoes ordinances, and regularlyreports to the Council and the general public on the condition and needs of theCity. The City Council in turn enacts ordinances, levies taxes and fees forcity services, and adopts annual operating budgets for the city government andits enterprises.

Michael D. “Mickey” Alexander isthe Mayor of Marion, a position he’s held since 1988. Alexander was a member ofthe City Council for several years prior to becoming Mayor. An investmentadvisor with a local financial services firm, Mayor Alexander represents theCity on several boards and committees, including the Revolving Loan Fund Boardand the Industrial Development Authority. He and his wife, Susan, bothlife-long residents of Crittenden County, are involved in a number of civic and socialactivities in Marion.

The Marion City Council is madeup of Donald Arflack, James Brown, Jason Hatfield, Janet Pierce, Dwight Sherer,and Darrin Tabor. The Council has adopted two consecutive budgets that requiredno increase in property taxes, yet provided for improvements in employeesalaries and benefits as well as the funding of much needed capital improvementprojects. Among the projects being pursued by the City Council in fiscal year2007-2008 are:

• development of a new skateboard facility at City-County Park;
• extension of sanitary sewer service to over 120 homes in the City not presently on the system;
• widening and resurfacing Ford’s Ferry Road, from U.S. 60 to Whippoorwill Drive;
• installation of new play equipment at Veteran’s Park; and
• construction of a new Communications Tower for emergency services dispatching.