Elizabeth City Form of Government

The City of Elizabeth City operates under the council-manager form of government. This means that the City Council appoints a City Manager who is responsible by state statute for the administration of all departments of City government. The Council holds the Manager responsible for the proper management of the affairs of the City and the City Manager keeps the Council informed of the conditions and needs of the City. The City Manager has the authority to appoint, subject to confirmation of Council, and remove all department heads and employees of the City.

The Mayor and the City Council comprise the governing body of the City of Elizabeth City and adopt the ordinances and policies by which the City operates.

The City Council is composed of eight members who serve terms of two years. The City is divided into four wards, with two seats apportioned and assigned to each ward. The citizens of each of the four wards elect the two council representatives for their ward. Candidates for election must be registered voters and live in the ward they desire to represent. (The City’s Ward Map is available for viewing online by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.)

All qualified voters of the City, voting at large, elect the Mayor for a two-year term. The Mayor serves as the official head of the City’s government and presides at all meetings of the Council. The Mayor votes only when there is an equal division of Council Members on a given matter.

The Council elects one of its members to serve as its Mayor Pro Tempore to perform the duties of the Mayor during his or her absence or disability.

The City Council conducts regular meetings, generally on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Occasionally, special or emergency meetings are called. The regular meetings are broadcast “live” on the City's Public Access Channel 11 and are also re-broadcast by tape at various times following each meeting. Meetings can be also be watched via the internet through live-streaming available on this website.

Municipal elections are held in each odd-numbered year and are conducted on a nonpartisan basis. Additional information about how to register, when to register and where to vote may be obtained using the link at the bottom of this page to the Pasquotank County Board of Elections.