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ALBANY, GA -- We've already heard some mayoral candidates promise to cut down on crime. Others say they'll bring jobs to the Good Life City.

Listening to those promises and big ideas you can tell its campaign season.

Four people have declared they want to be Albany’s next mayor but do they really know what they're getting into, or do you?

“The mayor in this city is a part-time position. It's not a full time position like the mayor in Atlanta or some other places,” said Albany Mayor Dr. Willie Adams.

Adams knows the job pretty well he's been mayor for the past eight years. He says people shouldn't expect to mayor to come in and start pushing an agenda.

“The mayor serves as the chairman of the commission. We're the ones that lead the meetings. We have one vote,” said Dr. Adams.

That means the mayor of Albany is policy making position, not an executive. That responsibility falls on someone else.

Tommy Coleman was also mayor for 10 years.

“The city manager is responsible for the hiring and the firing of all of the department heads. Chief of police, chief of the fire department and all the department heads that's his or her responsibility, the city manager,” said Coleman.

“My job I felt like was to clear the political warfront by making good policy and getting enough votes so the administrators could carry out what they needed to have done,” said Coleman. “The mayor is expected I think by the public that he can go in and fire somebody or but by law you can't, but since expectations are there you have to find a way to accomplish those things.”

“Campaigning is a little bit different then actual execution; naturally when you are campaigning you want to tell the people what you plan to do,” said Adams.

“If you didn't make those types of statements, I doubt people would vote for you,” said Coleman.