1. Local Government
SS8CG5

2. Four Main Types of Local Government
Counties
Largest unit of local government about 8,000 nationwide; provide many of the same services as provided by cities
Municipalities (cities and towns)
Include villages and boroughs as well; about 19,000 nationwide; often called city government; provide many services to its citizens
Special districts
Organized to provide one or more services; they have authority to levy taxes and spend public money; about 33,000 nationwide
School districts
Some operate independently of local government; about 15,000

3. Three Primary Functions of Local Governments
Health and Safety
Responsible for police and fire protection, immunizations for contagious diseases, hospital services, local roads, garbage collection, safe drinking water, sanitation, housing and air/water pollution
Welfare
Education is the largest expense; libraries, museums, parks, recreational facilities and mass transit
Housekeeping
Keeping records of births, deaths, marriages, and property transfers; collecting taxes and administering elections

4. Counties There are 159 counties in Georgia
The county is still the center of political and cultural life for a majority of the state's citizens.
Counties carry out locally a variety of state programs and policies, including collecting taxes, overseeing elections, conducting courts of law, filing official records, maintaining roads, and providing for the welfare of citizens.

5. Duties of Counties include:
local courts of law
voter registration and elections
sells motor vehicle tags
files official records of property ownership
builds and repairs county roads
probates wills
administers welfare and public assistance programs
police and fire protection
garbage and solid waste collection and disposal
public health facilities and services, including hospitals, ambulances, emergency rescue, and animal control
street and road construction, including curbs, sidewalks, and street lights
parks, recreational areas, facilities, and programs
storm-water and sewage collection and disposal systems
water utilities
public housing
public transportation
libraries, archives, and arts/sciences programs and facilities
terminal and dock facilities and parking facilities
codes, including building, housing, plumbing, and electrical codes
air quality control
planning and zoning

6. County Officers include:
 the sheriff
the tax commissioner
the clerk of the superior court
and the judge of the probate court
-In 1868 the state began creating the position of county commissioner to administer the general operations of the county.
-Today every county has a commissioner; many have a board of commissioners (BOC).

7. Cities There are at present 535 cities and towns in Georgia
Each possesses a charter of municipal incorporation approved by the Georgia General Assembly
Because municipalities are created by the state legislature, their boundaries, their structure, and even their existence can be altered or abolished by the state.

8. Cities
Georgia law makes no distinction among cities, towns, and municipalities
Example:
The only legal difference between the city of Claxton and the town of Tyrone is that Claxton was incorporated as a city and Tyrone was incorporated as a town

9. Cities
A municipal charter is a written document that provides a municipality with the authority to exist and function
The charter is a city's fundamental law
In this respect it is similar to a national or state constitution.

10. Forms of City Government
the strong mayor–council form
the weak mayor–council form
Under both the strong and the weak mayor–council forms, executive and policymaking roles and responsibilities are divided between the mayor and the city council.
the council-manager form
Under the council-manager form, the city council fills the primary policymaking role, and an appointed city manager is responsible for the primary executive functions. 

11. Forms of City Government Chart
Type
Powers of the Mayor
Powers of the Council
Weak Mayor
Mayor may share duties with council
Often “figure-head” role
Day to Day operations
Appoint Council Committees
Develop Cities Budget
Confirm and fire department heads
Strong Mayor
CEO
Day to day operations
Hiring and firing
Administer city’s budget
Make appointments
Veto legislation passed by the city council
Adopt ordinances and resolutions
Override Mayor’s veto
Council Manager
Ceremonial-- actual day to day operations are conducted by the City Manager
Set city’s policy.
Hires city manager

13. Special Purpose Districts
Special-purpose districts may provide many services, but the services are all targeted on one type of function. In Georgia, however, the definition of special-purpose districts is narrower.
Special-purpose governments are funded by loans or user fees instead of taxes. They are especially valuable because they can be flexible, concentrate on a single need, and provide services across city or county lines.

14. Special Purpose Districts
Simply put, special purpose districts are government entities created to serve a specific function for the state or community.
The purpose of a special purpose district is to benefit the well-being of the people.
Each of these districts is usually headed by a governing board of non-elected officials.
Some examples of special purpose districts include the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), The Georgia Ports Authority, local school systems, local housing authorities and the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

15. Special Purpose Districts
Georgia law authorizes the establishment of "local independent authorities."
Of the five types of authorities, three are required:
A Downtown Development Authority is required for every central business district
A Development Authority
A Resource Recovery Development Authority
responsible for sewage-sludge, solid-waste, and water-resource recycling.
Land Bank Authorities for acquiring and developing properties sold through foreclosure are authorized by law but not required.
Finally, a special category of local authority, limited to cities with populations of 350,000 or more, is the Urban Residential Finance Authority.
Cities and counties may create "joint authorities" between themselves and neighboring cities and counties.

16. Sources of State Revenue
Sales Taxes –is paid on things that people buy and consume. These include items like cars or any merchandise you would buy from a store.
Federal Grants – The U.S. government gives states federal grants to help fund education or build interstate highways.
Personal income taxes – States and the U.S. government tax the earnings of individual citizens and the money they earn from investments.
Property taxes – Private homes, land, and business property are taxed according to their value. Property taxes are a major source of revenue for local government.

17. Funding Local Government
Sources of funding include state and federal grants and taxes on citizens
ad valorem taxes: taxes paid based on the value of the property
user fees: paid by the user of the service
sales tax: added to purchases made in the city or county
general purpose local option sales tax: tax for general use
special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST): approved by voters, adds sales tax to fund special projects such as parks or schools
bond issues: a way for governments to borrow money; interest must be paid on the bonds

18. Who Gets the Money?
It is distributed among state and local programs to provide citizens with services like education, roads, public transportations and police and fire protection.
The following are estimated amounts of how the state budget is divided
Education 52% of budget
Social Services 21% of state budget
Criminal justice 11% of state budget
Debt 5% of state budget
Transportation 4% of state budget
Remaining other state agencies

19. Where Do Georgia’s Citizens Live?

20. Georgia is one of the fastest-growing states
-Hispanics are the fastest-growing group
-Georgia’s has an increasing number of older citizens
-Most Georgians (2/3) live in metropolitan area (area in or around a city)
-Over 50% of Georgians live in metro Atlanta
-Just 50 years ago, most Georgians lived in rural areas – Georgians were mostly farmers