Pearson Longman PoliticalScienceInteractive Shea, Green, and Smith Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System Local Government in Texa s 1900: Galveston hurricane kills 6,000 people, leading to commission form of government. 1912: Cities granted home rule authority. 1913: Amarillo and Terrell adopt council-manager government. 1933: Counties given home rule powers; authority never used and repealed in : Cities given expanded annexation powers. 1965: Creation of councils of governments. 1971: Interlocal contracting among local governments authorized. 1975: Voting Rights Act covers Texas, resulting in concerted legal attacks on election systems of local governments. 1981: San Antonio elects the first Hispanic mayor, Henry Cisneros. 1995: Election of the first African American mayor, Ron Kirk, in Dallas. 1997: Election of the first African American mayor, Lee Brown, in Houston. 2000: 83% of the state’s population lives in urbanized areas.

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System Majority of population lives in cities Over 1,200 incorporated municipalities Municipal Government

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System General-law cities –Less than 5,000 residents –Only enumerated powers Home rule cities –5,000 residents or more –Citizens adopt a charter General-Law and Home Rule Cities Home Rule The right of a city of more than 5,000 citizens to adopt any form of government the residents choose, provided it does not conflict with the state constitution or statutes.85 Charter State-authorized document that defines the structure, powers, and responsibilities of a city government.

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System Mayor-Council: The legislative function is vested in the city council and the executive function in the mayor Strong Mayor: Mayor given considerable power, including budgetary control and appointment as well as removal authority over city department heads. City Commission: Elected commissioners collectively serve as a city’s policy-making body and individually serve as administrative heads of different city departments.

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System City Government Mayor-Council Most common form is weak or strong mayor Example of Weak Mayor Form of Government

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System Example of Weak Mayor Form of Government

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System City Commission Emerged in the twentieth century Development spurred by Galveston flood, 1900

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Council–Manager First used in Amarillo and Terrell in 1913 Nonpartisan city elections Local Governments in the Texas Political System

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Local Governments in the Texas Political System City Manager

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Municipal Election Systems Nonpartisan City Elections –Most common form At-large Elections –Most representatives in Texas elected this way Single-Member Districts Legal Attacks on At-Large Elections –Challenged by minority groups

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Pathways of Action: What Type of Electoral System Produces the Most Responsive City Council? Those in favor of partisan, single-member districts make for greater accountability and access Critics of the at-large system say that single-member districts are more responsive –Also, such critics claim that at-large districts disadvantage African Americans and Hispanics because minority voting is diluted

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas City Budgeting and Urban Challenges Dependent on regressive taxes. State limits property taxes. Citizens can petition for a rollback election. City Budgets Rollback Election: Election in which local voters in Texas can nullify a property tax increase that exceeds 8%—or 4% for a school district—in a given year

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas City Budgeting and Urban Challenges The graying of Texas cities “White flight” Declining infrastructures Crime and urban violence State and federally mandated programs Urban Problems in Texas

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas First African American mayors of Dallas and Houston, respectively Pathways Profile: Ron Kirk and Lee Brown

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas County Government in Texas

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas County Government in Texas 254 counties, more than any other state No legislative power Administrative function Highly fragmented structure

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas County Government in Texas Commissioners Court and County Judge County Clerk County and District Attorneys Tax Assessor-Collector County Law Enforcement County Auditor County Treasurer

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Special Districts and Councils of Government Governed by a board Some have taxing and borrowing authority Created for various reasons –To depoliticize, for instance school districts –To manage services where existing governments can’t or won’t Special Districts: Units of local government created by the state to perform specific functions not met by cities or counties, including the provision of public services to unincorporated areas.

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Special Districts and Councils of Government Contribute to fragmentation of local governments Small budgets hamper effectiveness, and retention of employees Some districts expand beyond their original mandate Consequences of Single-Purpose Districts

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Special Districts and Councils of Government Basic structure for public education Founded in constitution of 1876 Inequities in the system from the beginning Local School Governance –Texas Education Agency –School boards –School superintendents Independent School Districts

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Special Districts and Councils of Government Created under Texas Regional Planning Act of 1965 Designed to promote collaboration and cooperation Councils of Governance Councils of Government (COGs): Councils comprised of representatives of other governments in a defined region of the state of Texas.

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Special Districts and Councils of Government Councils of Governance COGs in southwest Texas

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas EditionCopyright 2009 Pearson Longman Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas Solutions to the Problems of Local Government Annexation and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Modernization of County Government Economic Development Interlocal Contracting Metro Government and Consolidation Public Improvement Districts Privatization Annexation Powers: The authority of a city to grow, subject to restrictions set by state law. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: In Texas, the power of an incorporated city to control development in nearby unincorporated areas.