Mansfield has a mayor-council government. Republican Timothy Theaker has been Mansfield's Mayor since December 2011. Mansfield city council is an eight-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Six of the members represent specific wards; two are elected city-wide as at-large council members. Democrat Phillip Scott has been Mansfield's council president since November 2007. As of the census of 2000, there were 49,346 people, 20,182 households, and 12,028 families residing in the city.