Lafayette operates under a council-manager form of government, a system designed to separate political leadership from day-to-day administration.

City Council: Lafayette is governed by a five-member City Council, with a rotating mayor. The Council sets policy, approves budgets, adopts local laws, and establishes the city’s priorities.

The Council appoints a professional City Manager who oversees day-to-day city operations, supervises staff, implements Council priorities, and manages city services and administration. Think of the City Council as setting the vision and policy, while the City Manager executes it.