The position of Mayor is a ceremonial title given to the head of a city or town by its residents. It traditionally carries with it a great deal of power and responsibility, but today it is largely symbolic.
In many countries, mayors are politicians or government officials who have been elected by other citizens in the city or town for an indefinite period.
In some places the population elects their mayor directly while in other cases there is a more complex electoral system where several wards elect representatives who then choose from among themselves who will be mayor.
In the United States, the mayor is an elected official and usually serves as a city’s chief executive.
The mayor is not always the leader of the city government: some cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, have mayors who retain their offices for life.
In most metropolitan areas, the mayor is a member of a council whose members may include one or more vice-mayors.
The Mayor of London is also known as the “Mayor” of Greater London since 2003, when it was created by royal charter.
Eligibility criteria for Mayor :
1.Must not have run for mayor within the last 12 months.
If the mayor is running for re-election, that 12-month period is measured from the day of his or her election (or if there was no election because it was an appointment, then from the day he officially assumed office).
2.Must not have been a judge.
If the mayor is running for re-election, that 12-month period is measured from the day of his or her election (or if there was no election because it was an appointment, then from the day he officially assumed office).
3.Must not have been a council member of a different municipality within the last 12 months.
If the mayor is running for re-election, that 12-month period is measured from the day of his or her election (or if there was no election because it was an appointment, then from the day he officially assumed office).
In most major cities in Canada and some in California, mayors hold office for one year terms.
4.Must be an American citizen.
On May 30, 2009, President Obama signed into law legislation allowing for non-citizen mayors to take office in certain instances.
The rule is limited to mayors taking office in “any city or town with a population of 30,000 or less people.” These individuals must have permanent resident status and possess U.S. citizenship or green card.
5.Must not have served two terms of office and been out of office for at least one term.
In most cases the term limit is two consecutive terms, though some state constitutions impose longer limits.
In addition, in some cases, a person who has been or is serving in an appointed position that exceeds the two term limit may run for subsequent election to a regular mayoral term, but is not eligible to run immediately after serving in an appointed capacity.
For example, in Philadelphia a mayor who has served one four-year term may run for a second after sitting out one election cycle, while New York State prohibits a person from serving more than three consecutive terms in office no matter how they are served.
6.Must not have been convicted of a felony.
The term “felony” is defined in some jurisdictions as a crime punishable by imprisonment or death that is less than murder (in some states, this requirement may be satisfied by the commission of only one non-murderable offense).
The mayor of Los Angeles needs to have never been convicted of murder or any felony.
7.Must not have been elected to any political office within the last six months.
If the term ends before an election year, this does not apply at all, so long as the person has served no more than two consecutive terms as mayor prior to being appointed.
8.Must not have been nominated by any of the political parties.
If the term ends before an election year, this does not apply at all, so long as the person has served no more than two consecutive terms as mayor prior to being appointed.
The mayor of Los Angeles needs to have never been nominated by one of the major parties for any political office (for example, city council seat) within the last six months.
9.Must not have been a candidate for President or Vice-President within the last six months.
If the term ends before an election year, this does not apply at all, so long as the person has served no more than two consecutive terms as mayor prior to being appointed.
