Local Government

City Government Created by the State A. incorporated place—a locality with an officially organized government that provides services to the residents. A city is a municipal government. B. Urban communities can create a city by incorporating. They apply to the state legislature for a city charter that grants power to a local government.

C. More recently home rule, allows cities to write their own charters and make most decisions. D. Urban community may be called a city, town, or village depending on size, all provide the same basic services.

3 Types of City Government The Mayor-Council Form The Council-Manager Form The Commission Form

The Mayor-Council Form A. Power is divided between legislative and executive branches. Voters elect a mayor and the members of the city council. B. The mayor is the chief executive C. The council acts as the city’s legislature. It approves the budget and passes city laws called ordinances. D. Some cities are divided into voting districts called wards. Each ward elects a council member. Other councils consist of members-at-large elected by the entire city. E. strong-mayor system- mayor has more power than the council F. weak-mayor system- mayor’s power is limited. The council appoints department heads and makes most decisions.

The Council-Manager Form A. Usually for medium-sized cities. The chief executive is a professionally trained city manager who is not connected to any political party or interest group. B. The council appoints and can remove the manager. C. Council members are usually elected in citywide at-large elections. D. Advantage: City managers are not elected and are therefore free from political pressures. They have more knowledge than the part-timers in council E. Disadvantage: Citizens may not see manager as a unifying leader because he/she was not elected.

The Commission Form A. A few cities use a commission form of government. They elect usually five commissioners in citywide elections. Each commissioner heads a department. B. commissioners are both legislators and executives. C. The commissioners pick one member to act as mayor, whose role is largely ceremonial. D. Disadvantage: No one person is in charge, making responsibility hard to pinpoint. - New commissioners may know little about their departments. -When commissioners disagree, it may be difficult to make decisions.

Special Districts A special districts deal with a specific function, such as education, water supply, or transportation. B. A board or commission runs the special district. It has the power to collect taxes or charge user fees for the services.

Metropolitan Areas A metropolitan area is a central city and its surrounding suburbs. B. Some large metropolitan areas have a council of governments, in which the central city joins with its suburbs to make area wide decisions about growth.

Parish Government States are divided up into Counties or Parishes. They are political subdivisions of the states. Vary greatly in population and land size. Local Governments have parishes or county courthouses which are the center of parish government. (Covington, LA)

Parish have their version of the 3 branches of government too. http://www.stpgov.org St. Tammany Parish Executive Branch Patricia P. Brister- Parish President askpat@stpgov.org

The Sheriff is the parish chief law enforcement officer The Sheriff is the parish chief law enforcement officer. The Sheriffs department, including deputies and jailers, enforces court orders and manages the country jail.

Parish Legislative Branch St Tammany Parish Council They pass ordinances (laws) covering the general welfare, health, peace, and good order of the parish. They also mange parish affairs according to the U.S., Louisiana, and Parish Constitution.

St. Tammany Parish Judicial Branch The District Attorney, the parish’s prosecutor, investigates crimes, brings charges, and prosecutes cases in court.

Other parish offices: The Coroner tries to establish the cause of unnatural death The Clerk of Court keeps government records and supervises elections The Assessor estimates the worth of taxable property. The Treasurer supervises county funds, make payments, and may serve as tax collector.

In most places, parish/county governments are very important In most places, parish/county governments are very important. What we need for the smooth running of services like water, sewer, and sanitation services, operating hospitals, police departments, and mass transit system.

Towns, Townships, and Villages In the New England Colonies, colonists met regularly to discuss issues. These town meetings, a form of direct rather than representative democracy, became the local government. Townships are smaller than towns but have similar governments.

Most townships elect a small township committee, board of supervisors, or board of Trustees. Residents may request permission from the state to incorporate as a village, city or town. They may want to control their own police force, library, or recreational facility.

Most village governments consist of a small board of elected trustees to make laws and govern. The village board may collect taxes and spend the money on projects such as streets, public libraries, and recreation facilities. Village residents often pay higher taxes to support the extra layer of government. In return they get better services.