Structure
Hopkins is a Charter City. The City Charter serves as the "constitution" of the City.
The form of government established by the Charter is the "Council-Manager Plan." The Council shall have complete control of the City administration but shall exercise this control exclusively through the City Manager and shall not themselves attempt to perform any administrative work.
The City Council consists of a Mayor and four Council Members. They are all elected at large. The Mayor serves for a term of two years, and the four Council Members serve for terms of four years each.
The Mayor is the presiding officer of the Council and can vote on all motions before the Council the same as any other member. The Mayor shall exercise all powers and perform all duties conferred and imposed upon her or him by the Charter, the ordinances of the City, and the laws of the State. The Mayor is the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes, by the Courts for the purpose of serving all legal processes and by the Governor for the purposes of the martial law.
The Mayor, the Council, and/or the City Manager, and/or any individual formally authorized by them, shall have the power to make investigations into the City's affairs. The Council shall provide for the annual examination or audit of the accounts of the City.
Salaries
The Mayor and members of the City Council shall each receive an annual salary as the Council may establish by ordinance. The current salaries of the Mayor and Council Members were set in 1998 and are:
Mayor - $6,000 per year
Council Member - $4,600 per year.