Mayor
The Mayor is the character or player in charge of a town in the Animal Crossing series. The title of mayor was held consistently by Tortimer, until Animal Crossing: New Leaf, in which the mayoral role is taken by the first player to move in town.
History
Tortimer
The role of mayor was introduced in Doubutsu no Mori+, in which it was held by Tortimer. Tortimer was present at town events, where he hosted competitions or gave the player special items. In Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk, the player could also see the mayor at his desk in the Town Hall when events were not being held.
In Animal Crossing: New Leaf
In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Tortimer has retired from the position of mayor, and the first player to move into town assumes the role, assisted by Isabelle. The mayor player has a larger influence on the development of the town and can enact town ordinances and begin the construction of public works projects.
Isabelle replaces Tortimer at many town events, where she gives the player commemorative items.
The player as mayor
When the first player moves into a town in New Leaf, they will be greeted by Isabelle and the villagers, who address the player as the mayor. Even if the player protests, they will be placed in the role, and will later receive a letter from the intended mayor regarding the position. In order to perform mayoral actions, the player must first acquire a developer's permit; they may get the permit by registering as a town resident and earning a 100% approval rating.
Town ordinances
Using one of four town ordinances, the mayor can change aspects of their town; they may choose from the Keep Town Beautiful, Early Bird, Night Owl, and Bell Boom ordinances. Each ordinance costs 20,000 Bells to begin and can be ended free of charge.
Public works projects
The mayor may start a public works project to add new features in their town, including new buildings and attractions. After selecting a project to work on, Lloyd will accept donations from the player and the town's other residents to fund the construction. The player may also demolish projects (with exceptions) for 10% of their original cost and attend a completion ceremony for each completed project.
