municipal government in which a locally elected council is headed by a mayor, either popularly elected or elected by the council from among its members. In strict usage, the term is applied only to two types of local governmental structure in the United States. In the weak-mayor and council form, the mayor is merely council chairman and has largely only ceremonial and parliamentary functions. In the strong-mayor and council form, the mayor acts as real chief executive of the city or town, with the prerogative to veto actions of the council.