Local Government Services and Revenue Chapter 12 Section 2

Key Terms Utilities Zoning Property tax Intergovernmental revenue Grant

Education, Health, and Public Safety Utilities-services needed by the public such as water, gas and electricity Local government provides many services that meet many citizens human needs

Education Service local governments spend the most money on Elementary through high school and some community college Federal and state government also important in education

States pay about 1/3 of schooling costs Federal government helps to pay for buildings, school lunch programs, special needs children Local and state governments do not always agree

States make sure that standards are met All children have equal opportunities Local control can be good because local is more familiar with the area

Health and Welfare Millions of Americans can not find homes for themselves and are poor Local government plays a part with health and child care Most programs giving public assistance are funded through federal or state government

Health and Welfare Communities look after public health Locals carry out state health laws Health officials inspect restaurants, hotels, and water Makes sure they meet state and federal standards

Public Safety Police departments – Stop a crime – Speak to victims – Recover property Fire departments – Put out fires – Handle medical emergencies

Public Safety Both look after public safety in non- emergencies Police help teach citizens to stop crime Fire department checks for hazards and teaches safety rules to children

Public Safety Local governments hire people to make sure codes are followed A fire code may say all buildings must have a smoke alarms system

Utilities Water and sewage plants are owned by local governments Communities arrange private companies to supply gas and electricity Utilities best provided at the local level

Land Use Zoning-local rules that divide a community into areas and tell how the land in each area can be used Factories can only be build in certain areas House must have a certain size property

Things to Consider Decide where parks, house, factories or schools will be. Amount of traffic in an area How does development affect the environment

The Planning Process Local government appoints a planning commission Made up of interested citizens, such as builders, environmentalists, and business leaders

The Planning Process The commission has staff who look over pans for new construction Presents it to a local or county board The board makes the final decision

The Planning process Most heated battles over land use Decide how fast communities should grow More people means more water, school, traffic and pollution Must think of short term and long term need

Revenue: Paying for Services Property Taxes-a tax on land and buildings 25 percent of local revenue comes from this County assessor decides how much a property is worth Most people like property taxes in that the bigger the property the more you pay

Revenue: Paying for Services Some communities have a local sales tax Some states have an income tax

Service Charges and Profits Cities charge fees for certain services – Building inspections – Bridge tolls – Parking fees, parking meters Government owned utilities also bring in money

Borrowing When taxes and fees are not enough Cities can borrow money – Short term from banks – Long term they sell bonds

Sharing Revenues Intergovernmental revenues-money given from one level of government to another Grants Federal and state governments often give money to local communities Some grants are for summer jobs

Limits on Revenue Demands for services are more than the revenue brought in Power to tax is controlled by the state State decides how the taxes collected can be used Most cities have trouble balancing need and the money they have