History Main / UltimateAuthorityMayor

* Justified in the ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'' multi-part episode "Chillogy", whose MonsterOfTheWeek, known only as Karl, is the mayor of a miniature town that sucks kids into it so he can torment and kill them. Since Karlsville itself is a supernatural environment controlled by Karl, he's a full-blown RealityWarper while inside of it.

%%[[folder:Literature]]

%%[[/folder]]

* ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'': The pilot episode from its parent show, ''Make Room For Daddy'', has the earlier show's main character, Danny Williams (played by comedian and nightclub singer Danny Thomas) arrested by the town's sheriff, Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith). In the pilot only, he serves not only as sheriff, but mayor, justice of the peace and even newspaper editor, which (to Danny's dismay) he learns as he tries to get out of paying a large fine for failure to stop at a stop sign. Andy explains that this is scaled justice ... that is, a Mayberry citizen or someone he knows to have a meager income might only have to pay very little (Andy explains the standard fine is $5, which is sizable for a violator but not enough to break them), as he knows Danny is very wealthy, he bumped the fine to $100, which Danny can easily afford and can serve as an effective punishment for breaking a traffic law.

* Mayor Manx of Megakat City in ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'' seems to be the highest power the Enforcers answer to in the show; not even a governor seems to be around. Of course, given that they were originally not supposed to be on Earth originally (one episode was going to show human astronauts, meaning that the series is set on another planet in the future, but [[ExecutiveVeto an H-B exec nixed that]]), one could argue that Megakat might be a sort of city-state.

* Mayor Corset of ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'' is the BigBad of the series, an S&M-obsessed demon whose plans involve [[spoiler:using Brief's penis to unlock the gates of hell and unleash an EldritchAbomination]].

[[folder:Literature]]

[[/folder]]

* The various Kage in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fill a number of roles in their society but unless they're actually being called upon to command an army in their capacity as the nation's supreme military commander they're principally the mayor of their village. Because of their great political power at a national level (not to mention their usually era defining skill at ninjutsu) their power is pretty much absolute.

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': After [[WardensAreEvil Gregory Wolfe]], the warden of [[ExtranormalPrison Iron Heights]] was elected mayor of Central City, his first official act was to commute the sentences of the Rogues, who have likely committed state and possibly even federal level crimes that a mayor should have no jurisdiction over; and then deputise them into the CCPD, despite the fact that their extensive criminal records should disqualify them from any law enforcement work. {{Justified|Trope}} when it's revealed that the [[GodOfOrder Lords of Order]] are behind his election and have likely manipulated events to prevent higher authorities getting involved.

* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/HortonHearsAWho2008'' where, in Whoville, the town council bosses the mayor around and he has no say in any decisions.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' Appears to have this. There seems to be no higher authority than the Mayor, and no mention of any higher court system.

%%* The Mayor of New York in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''.

%% * Mayor Cole (Bill Murray) of the City of Ember in ''Film/CityofEmber''.

%% * Mayor Prentiss in the ''Literature/ChaosWalking'' trilogy.

* Sherriff Lucas Buck from ''Series/AmericanGothic1995''. Pretty much the raison d'etre of the show.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} by the various Number Twos in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', at first glance they are dictators with total authority over the Village, however, they are in fact frequently rotated middle management types that answer to some higher authority. And of course there is the question of "Who is Number One?"[[note]]"''You'' are, Number Six" -- punctuation and emphasis not (necessarily) in the original.[[/note]]
** The single 2 in TheRemake is a much straighter example
* Regina in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Justified in that the spell she cast did actually cut Storybrooke off from the outside world and the normal passage of time.
** In Hyperion Heights, Victoria Belfrey also has this distinction, though her authority is much weaker since the good guys are active earlier and [[spoiler:she didn't cast the curse that created the town; her daughter did.]]
* The show ''Series/InTheFlesh'' depicts [=UK=] [=MP=]s and Parish Councils as having far more power and day-to-day involvement in their districts than they actually do in reality. Although, following a ZombieApocalypse, it is likely that some decentralization of power occurred during the collapse of society.

* AffablyEvil Mayor Richard Wilkins in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. He has been making Sunnydale a haven for demonic activity for a century.

* Mayor Mike Haggar from ''VideoGame/FinalFight''. Stepping out of his authority here means you get a giant fist or your bones shattered with his wrestling skills or being smacked with an iron pipe he grabs nearby. Which happens a lot to Mad Gear gang. As Final Fight shares a universe with Street Fighter, and Mayor Haggar himself is a former participant of the World Warrior Tournament, you have to wonder what the Mad Gear is thinking, provoking a [[CharlesAtlasSuperPower Charles Atlas Super Human]] as World Warriors like Ryu and the others are bound to be...
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' has Lucas Simms, the CowboyCop who is both mayor and sheriff of the town of Megaton. The "ultimate authority" part is pretty much {{justified|Trope}} by the game's AfterTheEnd setting. Mayor [=MacCready=] tries to be this, but he's really just a bully in what he admits is general anarchy.
** In theory the higher authority would be John Henry Eden, President of the United States and leader of the Enclave. Aside from the dubious legitimacy of his election (among other dubious things), the Enclave is BAD business for anyone except the Enclave, and no one with any sense would try to take their issues to their doorstep.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has Mister House, who keeps an iron grip on his control of New Vegas. He tends to be pretty laid back about things as long as his authority isn't directly challenged, though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' has a downplayed version in Mayor John Hancock. His rule of [[WretchedHive Goodneighbor]] is absolute but lightly enforced; he deliberately leaves his people to their own devices most of the time, only stepping in when he feels their actions threaten the city as a whole, and attempts to avoid abuse of that power to differentiate himself from [[spoiler:his brother in Diamond City]]. In fact, the reason he becomes a companion to the [[PlayerCharacter Sole Survivor]] is because he's worried that he's become too comfortable with being in power and has started to become a tyrant; he steps down for a while to 'keep himself real.'
* As of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', Quincy Sharp, now Mayor of Gotham City, was somehow allowed to buy up a chunk of the city, throw in every criminal and mental patient in Gotham, including the supervillains and have the area fenced off, surrounded by armed guards. Note that he also throws in political prisoners; including people who built the prison, and Bruce Wayne for protesting it, all without the benefit of a trial. Though it was mentioned that the city was under Martial Law at the time.
* In ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', nearly every world has its own king or mayor who acts as this. {{Subverted|Trope}} [[PlayedForLaughs for Laughs]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' with [[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas Halloween Town]], when the Mayor is freaking out and begging Jack to help with TheHeartless because he's "only an elected official."

* ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'': Huxter T. Meredith, who is the Mayor of Concordia, biggest city on Elpis. And also the Sheriff. Although he can shut the city down on a whim and steals from charities with impunity, he's ultimately a pretty pathetic example- from the sound of it, he's a pawn of the Hyperion corporation, and gets humiliated when the player exposes his affair with a {{Sexbot}}.
* In ''VideoGame/FableI'', the Mayor of Bowerstone has enough power to order that a ConspiracyTheorist be executed without trial. The position also seems to be inherited, so the title is perhaps closer to a JustTheFirstCitizen affectation.

* Zao in ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' has the title of Mayor and is indeed in charge of a major metropolitan area, but everybody seems to treat him as if he's a world leader, including himself. This includes other world leaders seeing him as an equal. That being said, Zao's jurisdiction of Shang Mu has been in a long war with some of the neighboring countries with all parties in roughly a stalemate, suggesting that his city and its surrounding areas have the resources and manpower equal to a country.

* ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'' has the AuthorAvatar. The mayor rules a total {{Egopolis}} where everything from the radio station to the currency to the most popular ''soda'' to the city itself is named after him, and the laws (based purely on his own values and {{Squick}}s) are enforced via ''psychic monitoring.'' A city council is mentioned, but only seems to serve an advisory function, and according to WordOfGod, he inherited the position from his father. His authority is primarily exercised by slaughtering the avatars of those who've pissed off the author in real life in the [[NightmareFuel most horrific ways]]. As he is above the law, no one ever blinks an eye. Oh, [[DesignatedHero and we the audience are intended to root for him]].

** Ultimately though, he works for a much more powerful force: [[spoiler:the mods. He also ensures the muns are somewhat satisfied.]]

* Mayor Manx of Megakat City in ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'' seems to be the highest power the Enforcers answer to in the show; not even a governor seems to be around. Of course, given that they were originally not supposed to be on Earth originally (one episode was going to show human astronauts, meaning that the series is set on another planet in the future, but [[ExecutiveVeto an H-B exec nixed that]]), one could argue that Megakat might be a sort of city-state.

* Mayor Creator/AdamWest in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. Since this is ''Family Guy'' (and Adam West), he's ''insane'', but no one seems to care, except Brian Griffin, and even then, not all the time. His power as mayor is also rather extreme in that he even has the power to rewrite laws (on a whim, no less), such as banning and/or legalizing gay marriage and marijuana.
* Mayor White from ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}''. Unusually for this trope, he's eventually voted out and replaced by Doug's neighbor, Mrs. Dink.
* The Mayor in ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'' appears to be one of these. In one episode, the villain "Mr. Big" ''does'' manage to get him out of office using less-than-legal-means, but the original Mayor [[StatusQuoIsGod was restored by the end of the episode]].

* Mayor Jones is the be-all end-all authority in the town of Crystal Cove in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated''; he even personally orders the sheriff around, rather than the sheriff listening to, y'know, the people who elected him. [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in that not ''everyone'' listens to him and an early episode sees him seeking re-election and using the diamond the protagonists found as a result of their mystery solving as a publicity stunt for that cause.
* ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'': Burgermeister Meisterburger lives and breathes this trope. Not only does he have the power to ban toys "throughout the land, from sea to sea", but he can and does initiate a worldwide manhunt for ''Santa Claus''... to no avail in the end, but still. Of course, immediately after he dies, [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating people start to smarten up and realize the absurdity of the whole thing.]]
* Mayor Mellow in ''WesternAnimation/{{Grojband}}''. He holds every position of authority in Peaceville, from chief of police to head of post office, and seems to be able to anything he wants without anyone to stop him, like buying a diamond-encrusted unicorn cage for the zoo, ordering a house quarantined for chicken pox, declaring war on a micronation, and forcing everyone to celebrate a second New Year's Eve due to a misprint in the town calendar.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': "[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS02E22Malediktator Malediktator]]" shows that Chloé and her mother certainly seem to ''believe'' that Mayor Bourgeois has unlimited authority, as they demand he shut down the school and banish Marinette. [[SubvertedTrope Unfortunately for them, he can't do that]], and he knows full well that even trying would most likely result in him losing his position as mayor.

* In the current storyline in ''ComicBook/TheFlash''', [[WardensAreEvil Gregory Wolfe]], the warden of [[ExtranormalPrison Iron Heights]] has been elected mayor of Central City. His first official act is to commute the sentences of the Rogues, who have likely committed state and possibly even federal level crimes that a mayor should have no jurisdiction over; and then deputise them into the CCPD, despite the fact that their extensive criminal records should disqualify them from any law enforcement work.

* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/HortonHearsAWho'' where, in Whoville, the town council bosses the mayor around and he has no say in any decisions.

* Mayor Manx of Megakat City in ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'' seems to be the highest power the Enforcers answer to in the show; not even a governor seems to be around. (Of course, given that they were originally not supposed to be on Earth originally [one episode was going to show human astronauts, meaning that the series is set on another planet in the future, but an H-B exec nixed that], one could argue that Megakat might be a sort of city-state.)

* Two Legs Joe from ''WesternAnimation/{{Spliced}}'' is essentially treated as the ruler of Keepaway Island despite being officially described as just the mayor of its only settlement. However, given that the MadScientist who created him and the rest of the island's inhabitants is gone, it seems to be he was placed in that position because [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking he could protect the other mutants from threats]] with his superpowered stomping.