LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVT IS A STATE SUBJECT. ALL STATES HAVE RATHER DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF LOCAL GOVT.THEY ENJOY HETEROGENIETY AND IMMENSE INDEPENDENCE THERE ARE FOUR UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNTY CITY (MUNICIPALITY) TOWN AND TOWNSHIP 1

COUNTY STATES COMPRISE OF COUNTIES GOVERNED BY A COUNTY BOARD WITH 4 TO 50 MEMBERS ELECTED DIRECTLY FOR 2 YEARS.THE COUNTY WH HAS SOME RULE MAKING AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS. 2

COUNTY OFFICIALS OF COUNTY WHO ARE ELECTED DIRECTLY FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS INCLUDE SHERRIF,CLERK,CORONER JUDGE, ATTORNEY,AUDITOR,TREASURER RECORDER, SURVEYOR ASSESOR, SCHOOL SUPERINDENTENT.THEY EXERCISE THEIR POWERS INDEPENDENT OF THE BOARD 3

COUNTY GENERALLY COUNTIES PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE ROADS & HIGHWAYS/PUBLIC WELFARE & PUBLIC UTILITIES 4

COUNTY AGRICULTURE & COOPERATIVE EXTENSION EDUCATION/HEALTH AND SANITATION PLANNING AND ZONING 5

CITY CITY IS A UNIT OF URBAN LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT AND INCORPORATED AS A MUNICIPALITY THE STATE LEGISLATURE GRANTS A CHARTER TO THE CITY, ALTERNATIVELY THE CITY CAN FRAME ITS OWN CHARTER 6

CITY THE CITY GOVERNMENT IN US CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO FOLLOWING THREE CATEGORIES BASED ON RELATIONSHIP BERTWEEN LEGESLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE ORGANS 1)THE MAYOR---COUNCIL PLAN 2)THE COMMISSION PLAN 3)THE CITY---MANAGER PLAN 7

THE MAYOR—COUNCIL PLAN OLDEST FORM OF CITY GOVERNMENT IN US MORE THAN HALF THE CITIES IN US FOLLOW THIS MODEL MAYOR IS ELECTED DIRECTLY AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CITY COUNCIL IS ELECTED SEPARATELY WHICH SERVES AS LEGISLATIVE BODY DEPENDING ON POSITION OF MAYOR IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT THIS FORM CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTOTWO MODELS---THE STRONG MAYOR PLAN AND THE WEAK MAYOR PLAN STRONG MAYOR PLAN WEAK MAYOR PLAN 8

STRONG-MAYOR PLAN THE MAYOR ENJOYS COMPLETE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY AND VIRTUALLY CONTROLS THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION HE CAN APPOINT AND REMOVE THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL HE CAN VETO AN ORDINANCE PASSED BY THE COUNCIL HE ENJOYS STRONG POWERS WITH REGARDS TO THE PREPARATION OF THE CITY BUDGET 9

WEAK MAYOR PLAN THE MAYOR ENJOYS LIMITED EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY AND VIRTUALLY NO CONTROL OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL DOMINATES MAYOR HAS LIMITED POWER OVER APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL.THE CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS VARIOUS OFFICIALS ON ITS OWN HEADS OF DEPARTMENT ARE DIRECTLY ELECTED MAYOR HAS A WEAK VETO POWER WHIVH CAN BE OVERRIDEN BY A SPECIAL MAJORITY OF CITY COUNCIL THE COUCIL PREPARES THE BUDGET DIRECTLY 10

THE COMMISSION PLAN LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY VESTED IN SINGLE BODY CALLED COMMISSION IT HAS NINE MEMBERS DIRECTLY ELECTED FOR SIX YEARS COLLECTIVELY THEY SERVE AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY-MAKING POLICIES,ORDINANCE AND CONTROLLING EXPENDITURE 11

THE COMMISSION PLAN INDIVIDUALLY THEY ACT AS HEADS OF ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT LIKE FINANCE,PUBLIC SAFETY,PUBLIC WORKS THE COMMISSIONERS CHOOSE FROM AMONGST THEMSELVES A MAYOR TO SERVE AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE THE OFFICE OF MAYOR IS MERELY CEREMONIAL.HE IS THE TITULAR HEAD OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT 12

THE CITY---MANAGER PLAN THERE IS A COUNCIL OF FIVE TO SEVEN DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS FOR A PERIOD OF TWO TO FIVE YEARS ELECTED COUNCIL SERVES AS LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT THE COUNCIL ELECTS A MAYOR FROM AMONGST ITS MEMBERS WHO ACTS AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COUNCIL WHO IS ONLY THE CEREMONIAL HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT WITHOUT ANY EXECUTIVE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS 13

THE CITY---MANAGER PLAN THE COUNCIL APPOINTS A PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATOR CALLED THE CITY MANAGER WHO ACTS AS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CITY HE SERVES AT THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL AND CARRIES OUT ITS POLICIES THE MANAGER APPOINTS AND REMOVES THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND FRAMES THE BUDGET THIS SYSTEM CATERS TO A STRONG COUNCIL AND A WEAK MAYOR 14

TOWN AND TOWNSHIP TOWN AND TOWNSHIP ARE SUBDIVISIONS OF COUNTIES THEY ARE MAIN UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN RURAL AND SEMI URBAN AREAS ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS OF THE TOWN COMPRISE THE TOWN MEETING WHICH MEETS ONCE A YEAR TO ELECT OFFICIAL FUNCTIONARIES THE TOWNSHIP HAS A GOVERNING BODY OF ABOUT THREE ELECTED MEMBERS WHO PASS ORDINANCES,THE BUDGET AND APPOINT OFFICIALS TO CARRY OUT LOCAL ADMINISTRATION 15

SPECIAL DISTRICT THESE ARE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE ONE PARTICULAR SERVICE SUCH DISTRICTS CUT ACROSS THE JURISDICTION OF REGULAR UNITS OF COUNTY,CITY,TOWN ETC AND EXIST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY COVERING BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS THIS DEVICE PROVIDES SPECIALISED MACHINARY TO CARRY OUT A SPECIFICFUNCTION 16

SPECIAL DISTRICTS SPECIAL OR SINGLE PURPOSE DISTRICTS ARE CREATED FOR EDUCATION,SANITATION,FIRE PROTECTION, SOIL CONSERVATION,FLOOD CONTROL ETC THEY ARE QUASI-MUNICIPAL ENTITIES CREATED BY STATE LAW WITH CONSENT OF PEOPLE5000 SCHOOL DISTRICTS) SPECIAL DISTRICTS ARE GOVERNED BY SMALL BOARDS GENERALLY ELECTED 40,000 SPECIAL DISTRICTS (15000 SCHOOL DISTRICTS) 17

SUMMARY LOCAL GOVERNMEN COUNTY,CITY,TOWN AND TOWNSHIP CITY:THE MAYOR COUNCILPLAN (WEAK AND STRONG MAYORS),THE COMMISSION,AND CITY MANAGER PLANS SPECIAL DISTRICTS 18