A mayor speech is a public presentation that includes the city’s leader sharing his or her vision for the community and unveiling new initiatives. Depending on the city, some may include specific programs for boosting civic engagement and financial stability or addressing local issues such as blight and homelessness. Some may also address national issues such as announcing pardons and expressing views on immigration or advocating for the Paris Climate Accords.

A preparation outline is a full set of sentence-level notes that make up an entire script for the presentation. It is then converted into a speaking outline, which is the version used during the actual presentation. While a speaking outline does not contain the same level of detail as a preparation outline, it is still an important tool to help speakers organize their ideas and prove their thesis during the speech. Speaking outlines can also be easily transferred to index cards for reference during the speech.

The term mayor is derived from the Old French maire, meaning “head of a municipal government.” It shares its etymology with the military rank of major. In some cities, the mayor is directly elected through a local-government election and serves as a ceremonial figurehead for official functions. In other cities, the mayor is appointed by council and carries out some of the authority of council between meetings with approval from the council. In both cases, they are styled His or Her Worship while in office and wear a mace and chain.