Essential Question: What are the different units of local governments and how are they different?

Citizens are affected the most by the most local government Powers Come from the State (pg.228) States use their own constitutions to set local governments Local governments operate in units known as a municipality Municipality: a unit of local government that is incorporated by the state and has a large degree of self-government Examples of municipalities includes cities, towns, county, villages, townships, parishes, boroughs, counties, parishes, etc. The Need for Local Government (pg.228) Local governments provide services to make the areas population daily lives easier. Those services can be collecting taxes, supervising elections, enforcing ordinances, police and fire protection, correctional facilities, libraries, health care, welfare, clean water, street cleaning, bus and subway transportation, sewage systems, local roads and rail lines, recreational parks, etc. The largest type of local government is a city City: the largest type of municipality Q: What are the services local governments provide?

The highest level of local governments are county governments County: a subdivision of state government formed to carry out state laws, collect taxes, and supervise elections County governments are usually the largest type of local government unless there’s a major city Some county and city governments are combined into one legislative body. Ex. Jacksonville, Fl./ Duval County Elect officials from local governments legislative bodies These groups are refer to as county commissioners, county board, board of commissioners, county court, board of county supervisors, etc. County governments’ executive branch supervises county business and services If the county has a single executive leader, they’re usually called the county manager or county executive Most counties have no single executive leader Instead, the county elects citizens or have their legislative body appoint citizens to fulfill department positions in their executive branch Some common county department positions include county sheriff, county clerk, county treasure, county auditor, county coroner, and county prosecutor aka district attorney Sheriff: the chief law-enforcement official in some county governments County sheriffs usually only enforce the laws in areas of the county that aren’t incorporated Q: What are the basic structures of county governments?

Local governments must be approved by the state The duties of government officials are usually outlined in a charter Charter: a basic plan of government granted by state legislatures to local governments (local government’s constitution) Local governments often attempt to fulfill their responsibility of making their community better places to live by having their legislative body pass ordinances Ordinances: regulations that govern a local government unit (local government’s laws) Local governments assist with the state and federal government by supervising elections for state and federal government positions

Essential Question: What are different ways local governments operate in low populated areas?

Town: a unit of local government, usually larger than a village and smaller than a city  Towns usually consist of churches, homes, a few buildings, and surrounding farmlands Townspeople typically elect 3-5 offices to manage the town’s affairs  Historically towns often govern themselves through a simple, yet effective practice known as a town meeting Town Meeting: a form of government in which all citizens meet regularly to discuss town issues  Town Meeting’s are a form of direct democracy since it allows everyone in the to participate in the discussion  After discussion, town meetings often hold on an immediate vote on new ideas In what kind of community does a town meeting work well?

Some states divide land into subdivisions units when the area population is smaller than a town Two common types of subdivisions are townships and special districts Townships exist in some states, Special Districts exist in every state Townships (pg.232) Township: a unit of local government, usually larger than a village and smaller than a city In population size, townships a very similar to towns. However, the population is disperse over a larger geographical area Townships most often use a representative democracy governing system due to the greater distance Special Districts (pg.233) Certain areas where people live require specific and particular needs In such cases, the state establish a special district for the area’s particular need or needs Special District: a unit of local government set up to provide a particular service The needs varies, but could be fire protection, parks and rec centers, hospitals, public transportation, sewage disposal, water management, etc. School District are often consider as a special district by researches for various factors including the learning style and background knowledge strengths and weaknesses in different areas Why do school districts qualify as special districts?

 Rural communities (farming communities) might establish a village or borough government when their population grows usually to 200 or more  Villages and boroughs have the same powers and can provide the same services as local government units  Villages and boroughs are known to have the smallest legislative and executive branches of local government Why does an increase in population require the formation of a government?