Town Government

The Town of Hillsborough operates under a council-manager form of government. The Town Board acts as the legislative body in establishing policy and law, and the town manager handles the day-to-day operations of the town.

(From left to right:  Mayor Tom Stevens, Commissioners L. Eric Hallman, Evelyn Lloyd, Brian Lowen, Frances Dancy, and Mayor Protem Michael Gering)

The mayor and Town Board serve part time and are elected on a nonpartisan basis. The mayor is elected at large (town-wide) for a two-year term. The mayor serves as the presiding officer at Town Board meetings and as the official head of the town for ceremonial purposes. The five Town Board members are elected at-large for staggered four-year terms. The Town Board appoints a professional town manager, who serves as the board's chief advisor and who appoints the town employees.

When the Town Board makes a decision on an ordinance, law or policy, the town manager is responsible for implementing those policies. As the chief operating officer of the town government, the town manager coordinates the operations of all town departments and is responsible for the preparation of a proposed operating budget and its presentation to the Town Board. This annual budget, as adopted by the board, provides funding, staffing and general guidance to the town departments for the fiscal year.

The council-manager form of government has become the most popular type of local government in the United States in communities with a population of 5,000 or greater. North Carolina cities and counties helped pioneer the form, and all North Carolina local governments of significant size operate under this form of government.

To view the town's priorities and objectives or to see the reporting relationships within Hillsborough, click on the links below.