What is a City Commissioner Anyway?
An actual conversation with my brother John when I told him I was running for office a couple of years ago. John: What are you running for again? Me: City Commissioner. John: Commissioner, you mean like Commissioner Gordon? Me: (Pause) Yeah, pretty much like that. Both: (Laughter) That exchange, which I have had with a number of people over the years, sums up the popular understanding of a commissioner; the image of Police Commissioner Jim Gordon sending out the Bat Signal and hanging out with the Dark Knight on a rooftop. Commissioner Gordon and Friend (DC Comics) Which is about a cool as you can get, you have to admit. The reality is not nearly as dramatic, but it has it's interesting points. First, a little history from Wikipedia: This form of government originated in Galveston, Texas as a response to the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 , mainly for the reason that extra support was needed in certain areas. After its constitutionality was tested and co