Government of Omaha
Encyclopedia
The government of the City of Omaha, Nebraska
consists of the Mayor of Omaha, the Omaha City Council
and various departments of the City of Omaha, which in located in Douglas County
, Nebraska
. The city of Omaha was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1857.
Omaha operates under a strong mayor form of government.Omaha Election. University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Retrieved 8/29/07. The mayor, who does not serve on the council, and seven council members are all elected to four-year terms. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. In addition to the mayor, Omaha's two other citywide elected officials are the clerk and the treasurer.
The Omaha City Council is the legislative branch and is made up seven members elected from districts across the city. The council enacts local ordinance
s and approves the city budget
. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance approved annually. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions.
The City of Omaha has considered consolidating with Douglas County
government.
of Omaha is Jim Suttle
, a member of the Democratic Party
. The City Clerk is Buster Brown
, and members of the City Council
are Pete Festerson from District 1; Ben Gray from 2; Chris Jerram from 3; Garry Gernandt, Council President, from 4; Jean Stothert, from 5; Franklin Thompson, Council Vice-President from 6 and; Tom Mulligan from 7.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
consists of the Mayor of Omaha, the Omaha City Council
Omaha City Council
The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2009. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district...
and various departments of the City of Omaha, which in located in Douglas County
Douglas County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,401 people per square mile . There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The city of Omaha was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1857.
About
The Omaha City Council is the legislative branch and is made up seven members elected from districts across the city. The council enacts local ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
s and approves the city budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance approved annually. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions.
The City of Omaha has considered consolidating with Douglas County
Douglas County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,401 people per square mile . There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile...
government.
Currently
The current MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Omaha is Jim Suttle
Jim Suttle
James H. "Jim" Suttle is the 50th and current mayor of Omaha, Nebraska.-Earlier career:Suttle held the position of vice chairman of the Board of Directors for the Omaha-based engineering and design firm HDR, Inc. He also served as executive vice president and director of corporate development for...
, a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The City Clerk is Buster Brown
Buster Brown
Buster Brown was a comic strip character created in 1902 by Richard Felton Outcault who was known for his association with the Brown Shoe Company. This mischievous young boy was loosely based on a boy near Outcault's home in Flushing, New York...
, and members of the City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
are Pete Festerson from District 1; Ben Gray from 2; Chris Jerram from 3; Garry Gernandt, Council President, from 4; Jean Stothert, from 5; Franklin Thompson, Council Vice-President from 6 and; Tom Mulligan from 7.
Departments
- Omaha City Clerk
- Omaha City CouncilOmaha City CouncilThe City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2009. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district...
- Omaha Finance Department
- Omaha Fire Department
- Omaha Greater Omaha Workforce Development
- Omaha Human Resources Department
- Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department
- Omaha Law Department
- Omaha Public LibraryOmaha Public LibraryOmaha Public Library is a public library system for the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Originally founded in 1857, the library struggled for many years before formally forming in 1877. In 1895, the library became one of the first six in the nation to create a children's section...
- Mayor's Office
- Parks and Recreation
- Omaha Planning Department
- Omaha Police Department
- Omaha Public Works Department
- Omaha Purchasing Department
Other city-related entities
- Metropolitan Utilities DistrictMetropolitan Utilities DistrictThe Metropolitan Utilities District, or M.U.D., is the political subdivision and public corporation of the State of Nebraska that operates the drinking water and natural gas systems for Omaha, Nebraska and surrounding areas. M.U.D...
- Omaha Housing AuthorityOmaha Housing AuthorityOmaha Housing Authority, or OHA, is the government agency responsible for providing public housing in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the parent organization of Housing in Omaha, Inc., a nonprofit housing developer for low-income housing.-About:...
- Omaha Public Power DistrictOmaha Public Power DistrictOmaha Public Power District, or OPPD, is a public electric utility in the State of Nebraska. It is one of the largest publicly owned electric utilities in the United States, serving more than 340,000 customers in 13 southeast Nebraska counties. OPPD was formed in 1946 as a political subdivision of...
- Omaha Public SchoolsOmaha Public SchoolsOmaha Public Schools is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska. This public school district serves a diverse community of more than 46,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha, Nebraska...
- Landmarks Heritage Preservation CommissionLandmarks Heritage Preservation CommissionThe City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, established in 1977, is a the Omaha city government's a nine-member board responsible for recommending official Omaha Landmarks to the Omaha City Council...
See also
- Parks in Omaha, NebraskaParks in Omaha, NebraskaThis is a list of parks in Omaha, Nebraska. It includes cemeteries and golf courses. Most parks in Omaha are governed by the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department.-History:In 1854 Alfred D. Jones drew four parks on the original map of Omaha City...
- Crime in OmahaCrime in OmahaCrime in Omaha, Nebraska has varied widely, ranging from the city's early years as a frontier town with typically widespread gambling and prostitution, to civic expectation of higher standards as the city grew, and contemporary concerns about violent crimes related to gangs and dysfunctions of...
- Transportation in OmahaTransportation in OmahaTransportation in Omaha, Nebraska includes most major modes, such as pedestrian, bicycle, automobile, bus, train and airplane. While early transportation consisted of ferries, stagecoaches, steamboats, street railroads, and railroads, the city's transportation systems have evolved to include the...
- History of Omaha
- Education in Omaha, NebraskaEducation in Omaha, NebraskaEducation in Omaha, Nebraska is provided by many private and public institutions. The first high school graduates in the Omaha area came from Brownell-Talbot School, which was founded in the town of Saratoga in 1863...