Government

Welcome to City Hall, Mayor.

As the head of local government it’s your job to make numerous decisions that affect the lives of every Sim living in the city, as well as those visiting from the region and beyond. Are you up to the challenge?

Here we take a close look at all functions of local government including the associated buildings and departments, as well as the importance of keeping your city’s population happy. By studying the Population panel and various data maps, you have access to an enormous amount of real-time data, giving you everything you need to make informed decisions.

Want to learn more about taxes and loans? All financial concerns are covered in a deep discussion of the Budget panel, helping you set tax rates and manage expenses in order to balance the city’s budget. Take a moment to review this information, and then get back to serving the people, using your newly acquired knowledge to lead with confidence and wisdom.

Government Buildings

Where are you going to plop that Town Hall? What about the Mayor’s House? These are just a couple of the buildings associated with Government. You can also choose from a number of departments to unlock more buildings. And if you enjoy a high rate of success, the grateful Sims of your city may even award you with a Mayor’s Mansion.

Town Hall/City Hall

• Cost: Free
• Operational Cost: 200 per hour
• Description: This allows you to do business deals, manage systems, and start negotiating with neighboring cities.

CITY HALL UPGRADES

Shortly after supplying your city with water and power, you’re awarded a Town Hall, available in the Government menu. But don’t just plop your Town Hall anywhere. This is prestigious building requiring plenty of space for expansion—up to six departments can be placed around the Town Hall.

Consider cordoning off an entire city block and plopping your Town Hall in the center, with adequate space for growth on the sides and rear of the structure. The Town Hall serves as the centerpiece of all local government, giving Sims a place to voice their concerns and allowing you to set a flat city-wide tax.

At certain population thresholds the Town Hall can be upgraded—the first upgrade converts the Town Hall into a City Hall. When the City Hall is unlocked you can individually adjust tax rates for residential, commercial, and industrial zones.

Each upgrade allows for the construction of one new department. Departments are specialized modules that grant regional access to new buildings like the Sewage Treatment Plant, Hospital, High School, Bus Terminal, and Recycling Center.

Since each department unlocks these buildings across the region, there’s no need to build more than one type of department per region. If all six departments have already been constructed by other cities, save your money and skip departments altogether.

You don’t even need to build a Town Hall as long as one exists in the region. Visit neighboring cities or communicate with other mayors in the region to coordinate the construction of specific departments you all can share.

Modules

City Hall Sign

• Cost: 200
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: What’s the name of this town anyways?

Simcopter One

• Cost: 6,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• City Hall
• Municipal Airport in city or region
• Description: For Mayors who like to make a big entrance.

Departments

Department of Education

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• High School
• University
• Description: If you believe the children are our future, then you need a Department of Education. With this City Hall department, you can add High Schools and your very own University!

Department of Finance

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• Tax Rate Control per Zone and Wealth
• Description: Embrace your inner CPA! The Department of Finance grants the ability to tax wealth levels independently.

Department of Safety

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• Hospital
• Large Fire Station
• Police Precinct
• Description: Maslow put safety at the second level of his hierarchy of needs pyramid. Give your Sims a sturdy foundation. Protect your populace with improved fire, health, and police city services.

Department of Tourism

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• Landmarks
• Pro Stadium
• Large Parks
• Description: Turn your city into a tourist trap with the Department of Tourism. Tourist attractions like parks, stadiums, and landmarks will draw Sims to your city, ready to spend cash!

Department of Transportation

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• Bus Terminal
• Passenger Train Station
• Ferry Dock
• Municipal Airport
• Description: Address commuter or tourist traffic. The Department of Transportation will enable advanced transit options like streetcars, passenger rail, and even a Municipal Airport!

Department of Utilities

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Regional Access Granted:
• Water Pumping Station
• Sewage Treatment Plant
• Recycling Center
• Description: Clean up your city, starting at the City Hall. The Department of Utilities gives you the ability to place advanced sewage, water treatment, and recycling buildings.

Mayor’s House

• Cost: Free
• Operational Cost: 100 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Population of 10,000
• Town Hall
• Moving In! mission: Approval rating of 70% or more
• Description: For the neighborly, lend-a-cup-of-sugar, mow-their-front-lawn kind of Mayor. Raises medium wealth land value.

You can unlock the Mayor’s House by completing the Moving In! mission, requiring you to reach an approval rating of 70% or higher. This mission is usually available soon after placing your Town Hall. Unless you’ve completely failed during the early stages of the city’s development, you should already have a relatively high approval rating.

Consider plopping parks and zoning the demanded residential, commercial, and industrial areas to push your approval rating above 70% or lower taxes to boost happiness. Regardless of city problems, if your tax rate is, around 3%, they just can’t help but love you.

The Mayor’s House increases medium wealth land value, so plop it in a neighborhood where you want to encourage medium wealth growth—everybody wants to live next door to the Mayor!

Mayor’s Mansion

• Cost: 30,000
• Operational Cost: 100 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Population of 40,000
• Mayor’s House
• Mayor of the Year! mission: Approval rating of 75% or more
• Description: Keep your Sims happy for long enough and you can move in. Sims all over the city will celebrate when you move into the city. As you run your city well, your Sims will even give you gifts to add to your Mayor’s Mansion. Raises high wealth land value.

The Mayor of the Year! mission requires you to reach an approval rating of 75% or more. It’s best to complete this mission as early as possible, soon after plopping the Mayor’s House. Complications of a growing city can make it difficult to attain an 75% approval rating without some serious politicking.

Don’t be ashamed to win over the people by expanding city services, building schools, or even lowering taxes. You don’t need to maintain an 75% approval rating for long to complete the mission, but you will need to maintain a high rating if you want to unlock the mansion’s modules.

This lavish piece of real estate increases high wealth land value, so place it in an exclusive part of the city and watch mansions and high-end shops spring up nearby. The mansion can be customized with a variety of modules. There are 16 different modules divided into four sets.

A full set must be installed before a new set can be unlocked. For instance, once you’ve placed all four modules in the first set, the second set of four modules is unlocked, and so on. Each module also requires you to maintain a certain approval rating for a specific amount of time before it can be placed.

These modules have no impact on gameplay, but instead serve as trophy-like flourishes, likely making other mayors jealous of your success. So don’t be shy. You’ve earned this luxurious lifestyle! Flaunt it!

Modules

Flag of the City

• Cost: 200
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 75% approval rating for 6 hours
• Description: How can you not be proud when looking at your own city’s flag? You know what it took to build this place!

Mayor’s BBQ Pit Patio

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 75% approval rating for 6 hours
• Description: As Mayor, you have a lot at stake, but there’s never a bad time to cook a great steak!

Circular Fountain

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 75% approval rating for 6 hours
• Description: If you look into the water long enough, you’ll see your future. Nah, kidding. It’s only water.

Mayor’s Statue

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 80% approval rating for 6 hours
• Description: Mayor, the whole city is proud of you. Proud, like…an eagle. Definitely not a peacock. Definitely not.

Balcony

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 80% approval rating for 12 hours
• Four upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Look upon your domain from here. Just be careful—it’s the first place all the tomatoes get tossed!

Guest House

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 80% approval rating for 12 hours
• Four upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: It’s a known fact: visiting dignitaries, roaming rock stars, and famous movie stars love to hang out with cool Mayors. Serves as lodging for one high wealth tourist.

Guard Post

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 80% approval rating for 12 hours
• Four upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Make your mansion look even more menacing, Mayor. Maybe those protestors will think twice about bothering you. Or not.

Sports Car Garage

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 80% approval rating for 12 hours
• Four upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Complete with your new smokin’ hot car! It’s okay, break the speed limit…you’re the Mayor!

Extension Wing

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 85% approval rating for 24 hours
• Eight upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: What’s better than having a giant mansion all to yourself? MORE giant mansion all to yourself!

Limo Garage

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 85% approval rating for 24 hours
• Eight upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: You’re Mayor. Why should you have to drive yourself? Have your driver bring the car around and travel in style.

Greenhouse

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 85% approval rating for 24 hours
• Eight upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: You know how to grow a city, Mayor…but can you grow your garden? Just keep those pesky ants away…

Tennis Court

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 85% approval rating for 24 hours
• Eight upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Play tennis with your Mayor friends and keep fit so you can quickly jump into action when disasters strike!

Swimming Pool

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 90% approval rating for 48 hours
• 12 upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: The life of a Mayor is never easy. That’s why you need at least 18 hours a day of relaxing pool time. You’re only human!

Lookout Tower

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 90% approval rating for 48 hours
• 12 upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Gaze down upon your city from the relative safety of your house’s Lookout Tower!

Party Wing

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 10 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 90% approval rating for 48 hours
• 12 upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Sometimes a Mayor just has to let loose! Throw your raging parties here with only the city’s elite Sims!

Simcopter One

• Cost: 6,000
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Prerequisites:
• Maintain 90% approval rating for 48 hours
• 12 upgrades of Mayor’s Mansion
• Description: Real Mayors fly to work! Never be late to City Hall ever again!