Shouldn't Mayor Mare be out of a job?

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Now that Twilight's a princess, she's officially ruling over Ponyville. That means having the mayor would be totally redundant. Why have her in office? Or rather, why have an office at all anymore?

Canterlot and the Crystal Empire don't have mayors, so it would make sense that she resigned, wouldn't it? 

[The Awesome One 1,315]

I guess that Mayor Mare is still handling the lower levels of administration while Twilight does all the 'important' stuff. Ponyville getting a princess would not make her completely redundant I think. I doubt that Twilight is capable of handling all that paperwork alone anyway.

[Daring_Do 552]

Her castle may be in Ponyville, but has it ever been suggested she rules anywhere at all?

[cider float 2,539]

I was wondering when someone suggested this. But I thought up a good episode that involves Mayor Mare feeling threatened by Princess Twilight's establishment over Ponyville and then a political game goes underway, perhaps an election where Mayor Mare uses all kinds of underhanded tactics to topple Twilight over but of course later realizes her wrongdoings.

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Her castle may be in Ponyville, but has it ever been suggested she rules anywhere at all?

Princesses are rulers by definition. I don't see Celestia or Cadence not ruling anywhere in spite of living in castles.

[Daring_Do 552]

Princesses are rulers by definition. I don't see Celestia or Cadence not ruling anywhere in spite of living in castles.

But Cadence *didn't* rule anywhere til the Crystal Empire came back, yet she was a princess.

[JonasDarkmane 19,790]

Perhaps it is because Mayor Mare is still running the town. Twilight doesn't seem to be running it. 

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

But Cadence *didn't* rule anywhere til the Crystal Empire came back, yet she was a princess.

That's because she was still living in Canterlot up until that point, and that's Celestia's turf. It's not like Cadence never had a choice. She could have ruled Manehattan or Appaloosa if she wanted to.

 

Perhaps it is because Mayor Mare is still running the town. Twilight doesn't seem to be running it. 

Last week's episode seems to suggest she is. Twilight said it herself when she got salty about the map not sending her to Griffonstone: "I'll just stay here and do important 'princessy things'…" 

 

What else could that be if she doesn't get to spread friendship somewhere else?

[JonasDarkmane 19,790]

 

 

Last week's episode seems to suggest she is. Twilight said it herself when she got salty about the map not sending her to Griffonstone: "I'll just stay here and do important 'princessy things'…"  What else could that be if she doesn't get to spread friendship somewhere else?

 

 

Princessy things does not necessarily mean running Ponyville. She seems more of a emissary than a ruler. So I guess that she might have meant that she would be doing her "smiling and waving" routine. 

[Unikitty 1,212]

Twilight seems more likely to handle external affairs involving Ponyville. The map has shown that it's the duty of the Mane 6 to travel out to other locations giving assistance where needed, so i could see her as being more of a connection to the surrounding lands, rather than an administrator of the town itself. Mayor Mare would still run the majority of Ponyville's affairs whilst Twilight is more of an overseer.

I suppose you could see it like a presidential/prime ministerial position. They don't look into every state and city, rather they work on a larger scale. There's still mayors to run the specific locations. In a sense, Twilight, Cadence, and Luna would be sorta like vice presidents to Celestia's rule. Only Twilight and Cadence also have their own homes.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Unikitty

[SteveMorison 408]

I'm quite sure Washington still has it's own Mayor.

[Justin_Case001 4,930]

Twilight does not rule Ponyville.  Cadence was appointed to rule the Crystal Empire because they were without a ruler.  I suppose they could have elected a crystal pony mayor.  Perhaps they will at some point.  Anyway, Twi was not appointed to rule Ponyville.  Do you see her making politcal decisions for the town, or deciding how funds should be spent to fix up town hall or that sort of thing?  No.  She's the Princess of Friendship.  Her duty is to use her influence, with her friends, to spread the magic of friendship across the land and solve various social problems.  If a pony wanted to buy a plot of land in town and build her own house on it, she would see Mayor Mare.

[Castle Bleck 19,440]

Twilight is essentially Ponyville's senator, but Mare is still needed as essentially its governor.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

If I was King of Town, it would be fun to go on adventures and fight the dragons.

 

However I'd want an underling to balance the books, pay the insurance and figure out the road, power and waste management contracts.

 

If dragons or contracts aren't dealt with, there wouldn't be much of a town to look after, before long.

[cider float 2,539]

Maybe being a princess doesn't even mean ruling a town or city though even with Cadence she did get her own place to rule. Prince Blueblood is questionable that is does he have a town or city he rules?

 

I felt that Twilight's Castle is hinting out as her ruling Ponyville after she proved her princesshood with the fight with Tirek. In conclusion Princess Twilight is likely a ruler in Ponyville. It's tough to say who would be taking all the matters in Ponyville because Celestia doesn't have a mayor to help with matters in Canterlot either.

 

Well I'm just confused now.

Edited May 26, 2015 by cidershield

[colt .45 259]

Twilight Sparkle is the princess of friendship, Mayor Mare is the mayor of Ponyville. Friendship is a concept, whereas Ponyville is a geographic location. Twilight isn't the princess of Ponyville, she merely resides there because that's where her friends live, and because that's where she learned about friendship.

But wait,you say. What about Cadence? She's the princess of love, that's a concept. And is the ruler of the Crystal Empire which is a geographic location. True, but the Crystal Empire is "powered by love and light" so Cadence is like the utility company. So Cadence is the ruler of a geographic location AND the princess of a conceptual idea like love because the geographic location is powered by the concept of love.

Princess Twilight isn't the ruler of Ponyville (or any other geographic location for that matter) because, while still important, Ponyville isn't powered by friendship.

Edited May 26, 2015 by colt .45

[Nature's Spell 526]

We know very little about Equestrian government, but I've always felt that every town and city in Equestria has a mayor (maybe not one named "Mayor Mare") and it's never been made clear exactly how the princesses govern exactly what they do beyond the obvious (sun, moon, love, and friendship).

However, I have a feeling that the mayor would defer to Twilight and respect her rank, but at the sametime I don't see Twilight pulling rank.

[colt_following 169]

Princesses are rulers by definition. I don't see Celestia or Cadence not ruling anywhere in spite of living in castles.

Twilight is only the Princess of FRIENDSHIP... She rules friendship

[cider float 2,539]

Until there are other politicians shown and Mayor Mare makes a re-appearance really can't say for sure who looks over the town/city. I would say it is the princesses that act as the head though.

[sunne 660]

 Celestia doesn't have a mayor

That we know of. Keep in mind, the show is mainly based in Ponyville, so we don't know too much about Canterlot. 

Granted, you're probably correct, but one can't rule out the possibility. 

[cider float 2,539]

That we know of. Keep in mind, the show is mainly based in Ponyville, so we don't know too much about Canterlot. 

Granted, you're probably correct, but one can't rule out the possibility. 

If she had a Prime Minister some sense can be made.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

Not really. There's a Mayor of Washington D.C. even though the Capitol and White House are there. I imagine something similar is going on in Ponyvillie

Edited May 27, 2015 by Sidral Mundet

[Nature's Spell 526]

Not really. There's a Mayor of Washington D.C. even though the Capitol and White House are there. I imagine something similar is going on in Ponyvillie

Right. The President doesn't rule Washington DC. It has its own mayor. Different levels of government.

[4april 374]

Twilight is only the princess of friendship. She does not know a thing about unemployment, inflation, the economy, law enforcements......etc.

 

Besides it is mayor mare (and not Twilight) who probably takes care of the Ponyville schoolhouse, the library(when it existed) and anything else which local governments do.

 

So, to answer the question, I think no.

[chirox the pony 1,336]

I will say it before and I'll say it again. Twilight is a guardian. She has no real authority. She just defends Equestria from various threats like she's always done.