Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.
By country
Australia
In Australia, the title of Lord Mayor is a political position, which means people vote for people to take the position. There are 10 Australian cities that have a Lord Mayor: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney and Wollongong.
Canada
In Canada, the only town with a Lord Mayor is Niagara-on-the-Lake, which has a Lord Mayor as recognition of its role as the first Capital of Upper Canada.
Fiji
Before the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, Fiji had several municipal councils, which were local government bodies. However, they were all dismissed after the coup and not restored. During the period that Fiji had municipal councils, the city of Suva had a Lord Mayor.
Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, the title of Lord Mayor is a symbolic title, as in the United Kingdom. Cork and Dublin both have Lord Mayors.
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur has a Lord Mayor.
United Kingdom
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a ceremonial position. This means the person is not in charge of the day to day work of the city, but represents the city at important events. These positions are given to a person by letters patent, which are a special letter from the monarch.
Other countries
- In Denmark, Overborgmester, is the title of the highest mayor of Denmark's capital city, Copenhagen.
- In Germany, Oberbürgermeister, is the title of the mayors of county-free, often large cities. As in Australia, Germany's mayors are the working leaders of their cities. The mayor in the three German city-states also has the function of a Ministerpräsident (head of government of one of Germany's constitutive States). These mayors are called Regierender Bürgermeister (Governing Mayor) in Berlin, and Erster Bürgermeister (First Mayor) in Hamburg.
- In Finland, the head city manager of the capital, Helsinki, is given the title ylipormestari meaning "high mayor". This title is used more than the official title of the office, kaupunginjohtaja. This tradition is almost the same as the Lord Mayors in other countries.
- In Romania and Moldova, the mayors of the capitals (Bucharest and Chişinău, are named Primar General which means General Mayor. The name is ceremonial and it has no higher powers than mayors of other cities.