Council leader Ken Bodfish says Brighton and Hove should vote for a directly-elected mayor in next month's referendum.
But in an article on The Argus web site, he says the new mayor should not be in conflict with the city council.
Councillor Bodfish said the authority had moved with the times in replacing the committee system with a leader and Cabinet.
He said: "Unfortunately, the option of the council continuing to be organised on this basis will not be before the electorate in the October referendum.
"Opposition parties, together with a minority of Labour members, voted together to ensure the city will have to choose between either an elected mayor or a return to a committee system.
"The referendum in October will therefore offer a stark choice. In this situation, the elected mayor offers the most positive way forward.
"We must continue to value the role of individual elected councillors.
"The mayor must have their confidence because they represent an indispensable link between the council and the residents and it is vital there should not be conflict between the mayor and council.
"An elected mayor will not be a success if it is regarded by the holder as a vehicle for the expression of personal vanities or the promotion of a particular sectional interest group.
"The mayor will be a major bonus for our city if he or she has the experience and competence to lead, not dominate, a council of the size and complexity of Brighton and Hove."
The full article is at www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/brighton__hove/news/local_issues/mayor/bodfish.html
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