1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2. County Governments
County: the largest territorial and political subdivision of a state
Make sure people have order, protection, and services
Run by a county board of commissioners
Elected by residents of county
Administers statewide programs and makes rules to meet the needs of the citizens of the county

3. City Government City: a municipal government
A municipality is an incorporated place.
What does it mean to be incorporated?
A place with an officially organized government that provides services to residents
Cities are created when residents apply to the state legislature for a city charter.
City charter: a document that grants power to a local government
A city constitution

4. City Government Services provided by city governments: Law enforcement
Fire protection
Street repair
Water and sewage systems
Garbage pickup
Parks and recreation

5. Mayor-Council Form Power divided between branches
Legislative = city council
Sets city policy, enacts laws (ordinances), adopts city budget
Executive = mayor
Represents the city
Oversees the operation of administrative offices
Appoints the heads of departments
Voters elect mayor and city council members
Strong-mayor system: mayor has strong executive powers
Weak-mayor system: mayor’s authority is limited

6. Council-Manager Form Voters elect the city council (legislature)
Makes policy, adopts ordinances, approves budget
City council appoints a city manager
Recommends a budget, oversees city departments, deals with personal matters
Mayor acts as member and presiding officer of the council
Most popular form of city government today.

7. Commission Form Voters elect 5 commissioners
Each commissioner heads a major dept.
police, fire, finance, health, public works
Commissioners perform executive duties for their particular department.
Meet together with legislative powers to pass city ordinances and make policy decisions
One commissioner chosen to be ceremonial mayor
Not very popular.
No one person in charge.
New commissioners may not be very familiar with dept.
Difficult to resolve disputes between commissioners.

8. Special Districts
A unit of government that deals with a specific function
Ex: education, water supply, transportation
Most common example: local school district
School board: council of a local school district
Can be either elected or appointed
Help determine educational policy in a city or county
Alderman represents city districts and work with the mayor to run city gov’t

9. Metropolitan Areas A central city and its surrounding suburbs
Growth in population and expanding businesses & industry
Problems: transportation, pollution control, law enforcement, land-use management

10. A political unit that is larger than a village and smaller than a city
Towns
A political unit that is larger than a village and smaller than a city
Town meetings popular in New England states

11. Townships A subdivision of a county
Smaller than New England towns but have similar governments
Most run by an elected body of officials
Have declined in importance due to the growth of cities and counties
Townships often work together with county governments to provide local services

12. Law enforcement Sheriff Chief of Police
County’s highest elected law enforcement officer
Chief of Police
Appointed commanding officer of the city’s police department