Final answer:
The statement is false; in the mayor-and-council form of government, the elected mayor is the chief city officer, not a hired manager.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the mayor-and-council form of government, the elected mayor serves as the chief city officer, handling executive functions and wielding varying degrees of power. This is distinct from the council-manager system, where the city council appoints a city manager to perform administrative functions. Therefore, the statement in the question is false. Under the mayor-council system, the mayor directly oversees the execution of city laws and policies; they may have strong powers like vetoing council actions, appointing department heads, and preparing the budget, or they may have limited powers in a weak mayor system where they act more as a ceremonial figurehead.