Mayor

A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater") is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government. In many systems, the mayor is an elected politician who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor, as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. The word derives from Latin major ("major", "greater") which developed like such terms as senior ("elder") to mean (in) chief. In spite of its Latin etymology, "mayor" was not a Roman office, as Roman municipia were rather governed by collegial magistrates bearing various titles, such as "Consul" or various terms expressing their number (e.g. duumvir, two), or even titles of pre-Roman local origin. Among the nations which arose on the ruins of the Roman empire of the West, and which made use of the Latin... full article at wikipedia