1. State and Local Government Local Government ~~~~~ City Government
Chapter Nine
State and Local Government
Local Government
~~~~~
City Government

3. Cities cities city governments are established by and receive charters
larger than towns or villages
New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, have millions of residents
population often crowded into a relatively small area
must manage a variety of challenges and problems
education, health, and safety
must operate hundreds of services daily
transportation systems, sanitation, water supply, fire and police protection
city governments are established by and receive charters
from state legislatures
some states have been granting to cities an authority referred to as home rule
city can write and amend its own municipal charter
written by a commission and must be approved by voters
cannot conflict with the state constitution or with the U.S. Constitution
gives cities the power to manage their own affairs and to deal with their own local problems

4. Types of City Government
city government takes one of three forms
depending on its charter
mayor-council government
commission government
council-manager government

5. Mayor-Council City Government
mayor-council system
oldest and most common form of city government
lawmaking body is called the city council
chief executive is the mayor
sees that ordinances, or city laws, are enforced
mayor and city council members elected by city voters
usually to terms of either two or four years in length
city is divided into several districts called wards
people who live in each ward elect one person
to represent them in the city council
several council members at large are elected
by all the voters in the city
most city councils are unicameral
other elected city officials
treasurer, judges of the municipal courts, tax assessors, city attorney or solicitor
other city officials - elected or appointed
heads of departments for fire fighting, police, health and welfare, housing, parks and playgrounds, traffic, water

6. Mayor-Council City Government
weak-mayor plan
reaction to colonial period
limit the power of city officials
city council holds more power than the mayor
council appoints the heads of city departments who report directly to the council
mayor must obtain the consent of the council before spending money or taking other actions
often results in conflicts between the mayor and the council
strong-mayor plan
more efficient
mayor has chief responsibility for running the city's government
appoints most of the city officials
can dismiss them if they do not do a good job
can veto bills passed by the council
must draw up the city budget
council must approve the budget
must ensure that the city's money is spent properly

7. Commission City Government
commission plan
introduced in Galveston, Texas, around 1900
devastating hurricane destroyed the town
city is governed by a group of three to nine elected officials
acts as the city's lawmaking and executive body
passes all city ordinances
each commissioner heads a department of city government
public safety public works
police and firefighters water and streets
finances public welfare
tax collections help disadvantaged citizens
health
hospitals, clinics, health inspectors
commissioners meet as a group to make the city's laws
each commissioner carries out the laws that apply to his department
citizens or the commissioners choose one of the commissioners to be mayor and preside over meetings of the commission
disadvantages
voters may find it difficult to elect officials who know how to run a city department
commissioners may disagree about who should manage activities that fall under the jurisdiction of different departments

8. Council-Manager City Government
council-manager plan
first set up in 1912 in Sumter, South Carolina
growing number of cities use this plan of government today
city is run much like a big business firm
employs specially trained professionals to handle city affairs
voters elect a city council to act as the city's lawmaking body
council appoints a city manager
serves as chief executive
appoints the heads of the city departments
they report directly to the city manager
may also remove department heads from office
advantages
managers are appointed, not elected
they will not take part in party politics or face any political pressure
given freedom to run city governments efficiently and economically
may be dismissed and replaced if they don’t do a good job
disadvantages
some smaller cities can’t afford the salary to hire a good manager
cities may be better governed when the officials are directly accountable to the voters who elect them