To determine the answer to this question, we need to consider the different forms of city government and identify which one merges the executive and legislative functions in a single group of officials.
A) Township: A township form of government typically involves a town board or supervisor and is not the correct answer.
B) Commission: The commission form of government typically involves elected officials who serve specific roles within the government. They may have separate executive and legislative functions, so this is also not the correct answer.
C) Mayor-Council: The mayor-council form of government consists of an elected mayor who serves as the executive and a council that serves as the legislative body. The executive and legislative functions are separate in this form of government, so this is not the correct answer.
D) City Manager: The city manager form of government is the one that merges the executive and legislative functions in a single group of officials. Under this form of government, the city manager is hired by the city council to serve as the executive and carry out the day-to-day operations of the city. The city council, consisting of elected officials, serves as the legislative body. Therefore, the correct answer is D) city manager.
So, the correct answer to the question is D) city manager.