The first 100 days of any administration at any level of government have always been thought of as a significant (if slightly arbitrary) time span, which can influence the success of a new leader’s entire tenure.

Though there’s always been a big ballyhoo about the President’s first 100 days, little has been known about the same transition period for the nation’s mayors. But on August 6, an exploratory study by Matthew Lee, Quinton Mayne and Jorrit de Jong in Public Administration Review based on interviews with 15 mayors,  has illuminated the topic. 

“Though relatively brief,” the study says, “a mayor's transition period is a singularly important window during which they prepare for their new role while also performing it—building relationships, translating campaign priorities to operational goals, and beginning the implementation of their agendas.”

As might be anticipated, the way the mayors utilize these transitional days “varies considerably according to differences in mayors' personal backgrounds and structural factors, such as the system of city governance, that circumscribe the mayoral role in each city.”

One major finding was that mayors-elect underestimate demands for certain types of mayoral work during their first 100 days. Specifically, “multiple mayors attributed this to unanticipated pressure from constituent groups to build relationships, while others noted that they expected more work to be handled by council members.” Mayors also underestimated the time they’d spend on short-term policy work.”

Similarly, many new mayors surveyed had expected that they’d have more time at home and in the community, discovering that they would spend more time than anticipated in City Hall. “Some mayors explained that scheduling back-to-back meetings with constituent groups in city hall was more efficient than traveling between multiple meeting locations in the community,” according to the report. But this discovery was a disappointment to some.

In fact, one new mayor told the report’s authors that “I feel like I'm locked in my office”

The report emphasizes the idea that “newly-elected mayors can prepare and plan for their transition work by systematically mapping and comparing their existing resources with those that they anticipate to be necessary for effective governance.” This isn’t an easy hurdle to clear for many since “mayors-elect often lack adequate preparation for these diverse duties; indeed, many have never worked in government at the time they take office,” according to the study. 

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