1. Local Government The lowest level of government and the closest level to the people http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps/fr2761.gif

2. Local Government Not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution (other than Congress can create and govern the nation’s capital) Amendment X says the states can do anything not forbidden to them in the Constitution nor expressly given to the federal government so they have the power to create local governments

3. Local Government States have full power over local governments Local governments may not contradict the national or state government They have to be created by the state

4. Local Government 5 main purposes/functions –1. Provide services –2. Lead and Improve the community –3. Protect the citizens from harm –4. Keep Order –5. Make and enforce laws –Social Contract Is Upheld.

5. Local Government Local governments are closest to the people because –They represent fewer people –The people in local government are from the area and know the people –They can apply their services to smaller groups of people and be more specific than state or national government in meeting needs

6. Local Government Two main types: –County –Municipal: City Town Township Village

7. Local Government All citizens in North Carolina live under at least 3 levels of government: –United States –North Carolina –County –Many live under a city or town as well such as Boone or Blowing Rock

8. Cities in North Carolina http://www.extendedstayhomes.com/images/temporary-corporate-housing-north-carolina.jpg

9. City Governments http://www.don-iannone.com/edfutures/uploaded_images/charlotte1-708277.jpg

10. Cities 75% of the 300 million Americans live in urban areas Urban- cities and surrounding areas/ areas with lots of people living close together Cities are municipalities

11. Municipalities Most states define a municipality as an incorporated place An incorporated place is a locality with an officially recognized government that can make and enforce laws Cities/towns/townships/villages are created when urban communities incorporate

12. Municipalities To become a municipality/incorporated place: –Urban communities apply for a city charter from the state legislature –A city charter is a document that grants power to the local government- it is like a constitution for a local government because it lays out a plan for the local government –Usually a community must meet certain requirements like having a minimum population and submitting petitions (lists of supporting signatures)

13. Charters A city charter is like a constitution, or written plan of government, for a city, describing the type of city government, its structure, and powers.

14. Home rule Many state legislatures have begun to grant home rule to cities. Home rule allows cities to write their own charters, choose their own type of government, and manage their own affairs, as long as they don’t contradict state or national laws.

15. Government Structure in Cities Cities and other local governments have two branches of government: –Legislative branch: makes laws –Executive branch: enforces laws –No judicial branch- courts are at the state and national levels

16. Cities City governments vary from city to city- they have a lot of leeway in creating their governments Whether an urban community is called a city, town, or village also depends on local preference. Generally, cities are bigger and towns are smaller, but some towns are bigger than some cities.

17. Forms of Municipal Government A charter usually creates one of three forms of government: –Mayor-council form –Mayor-council manager form –Council-manager form –Commission form

18. Mayor-Council Form  Most early American cities had this form.  In this, power is divided between a legislative and an executive branch  Voters elect a mayor and members of a council  The mayor is the head of the executive branch and has several departments to help him carry out the laws  The council is the legislature and passes laws

19. Mayor-Council Form  Local laws are called ordinances  Most cities are divided into voting districts called wards and each war elects a representative to the council  They usually serve around 4 year terms  The mayor is elected by the whole city  Some cities have council members elected by the entire city- this makes them members-at-large

20. Two Forms of Mayor-Council There are two main forms of mayor- council systems: –Strong mayor system: under this the mayor has strong powers and can dominate city government and council members are generally less powerful –Weak mayor system: under this the mayor has limited authority and the council has more power

21. Council Manager Form This first appeared in 1912 It was a way to try to reform corrupt or inefficient mayor-council governments Under this, the elected council and chief elected official (usually a mayor) make policy and a professional administrator, hired manager, is responsible for the day- to-day operations of the government

22. Council Manager Form The city council is the legislative body and it appoints a manager, who works for and reports back to them The council can hire and remove a manager by a majority vote

23. Commission Form Invented before the council-manager form Only a few cities still use it A city elects five commissioners in citywide elections and each commissioner is in charge of a major department like police, fire, finance, health, and public works

24. Commission Form They perform executive duties for their department They perform legislative duties when they meet together as a commission to pass city ordinances and make policy decisions They choose one of themselves to act as mayor This system has no separation of powers and no one person is in charge

25. Special Districts These are units of government that deal with a specific function Some examples would be school districts, water districts, transportation districts, etc… Many times special districts overlap A board or commission is often elected or appointed to run a special district

26. Metropolitan Areas This is what a central city and its surrounding suburbs are called Suburbs are the communities surrounding a city Many times the population and size of the suburbs exceeds that of the city

27. Metropolitan Areas The population in the U.S. has been expanding tremendously in the past century and this has put pressure on local governments and communities Some problems include transportation, pollution control, and law enforcement

28. Towns, Townships, and Villages Many people of think of small cities when they think of towns in the south and out west Many small cities call themselves towns However, in different parts of the country, this term has a different meaning

29. Towns, Townships, and Villages In New England, counties are divided into smaller political units called towns In other states, counties are divided into smaller political units called townships Smaller areas within towns or townships or cities may be called villages

30. Towns, Townships, and Villages Towns in New England generally handle the needs of most small communities, while the counties are mostly for judicial districts In all other states with townships, county and township governments share authority In the south and west, county governments tend to be more important

31. Towns Town generally refers to the form of government in New England This is one of the oldest forms of government in the United States Within the New England colonies, colonists set up towns and met regularly to discuss issues These meetings were called town meetings- an exercise of direct democracy- each person got a vote

32. Towns In towns, a board or commission is elected and provide legislative and executive services to the community and a mayor is often elected

33. Townships NY, NJ, and PA have counties divided into townships, which are similar to New England towns Townships in the Midwest are different In the south and out west, this term, like town, might mean small city

34. Townships In the 1800s, the US government was expanding the nation westward into new land and Congress divided the land into perfectly square blocks- usually six miles wide and long The settlers set up townships within the counties that appear to be most perfect squares on the map

35. Townships In townships, a small body of officials- a township committee, board of supervisors, or board of trustees- are elected and have legislative responsibilities and oversee administering the services They may also have a mayor or manager

36. Villages This is the smallest unit of local government Villages almost always lie within the boundaries of other local governments, such as townships or counties

37. Villages Most villages have a government consisting of a small board of trustees elected by voters and often elect an executive known as the chief burgess, president, or mayor Together, they provide legislative and executive services

38. Why would people want to incorporate? Pros: –More services –More protection –More representation –More involvement –Makes the community more attractive to visitors and businesses –Provides a sense of unity Cons: –More ordinances –More taxes –Extra layer of government –More people –More traffic and congestion

39. County Governments Counties are the largest territorial and political subdivision in a state All states except Connecticut and Rhode Island are divided into counties (they use towns for this organization) Each county has its own government and there is lots of variety among them

40. County Governments Some counties have thousands of residents and some only hundreds! Some states have hundreds of counties and some have less than 10! North Carolina has 100!

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42. County Governments Counties in the eastern United States tend to have more variety in shape and size! They were just added on as settlers moved west. In the midwestern and western states, the counties tend to be more planned and uniform looking

43. County Governments The county courthouse was often the center of government and the town where the county courthouse is located is called the county seat It is the seat of county government

44. County Governments The county courthouse was often the center of government and the town where the county courthouse is located is called the county seat

45. County Governments Functions: provide many services- water, sewer, and sanitation services, operate hospitals, sheriff’s office, and mass transit systems, administer elections, offer public and mental health, and social services, provide emergency medical care and support EMS squads, coordinates volunteer and full-time fire departments, and support local education systems

46. County Governments Most counties are governed by a board of 3-5 elected county commissioners Most serve a four year term The board acts as the legislature, making county laws- ordinances- and providing an annual budget, levying taxes, and administering laws

47. County Governments Counties may have different organizational structures such as commission-manager, commission-elected executive, and strong commission forms

48. County Governments Many people work for the county including the sheriff and his department, the district attorney, county judges, assessor, finance director, treasurer, auditor, county clerk, and coroner There are lots of other people under these and the departments that work for them

49. Local Government Revenue To provide services, governments must raise money They get money from governments above them and from taxes People like lots of services and low taxes, but they can’t have both

50. North Carolina Local Government The General Assembly creates NC’s local governments and decides how much power and responsibility they have All have a legislative and executive branch All can raise money through taxes All can set public policy for their area None have judicial authority- state courts decide cases involving local ordinances Two basic types in North Carolina: –Counties –Municipalities

51. Counties in NC NC has 100 counties Each has a local government and branch office for the state All have a legislative and executive branch They have to set local public policy and carry out state policies Public Policy is the course of action the government takes on particular issues

52. Counties in NC Most counties have a county manager (executive branch) and board of commissioners (legislative branch) Voters elect county commissioners- most serve 2 year terms The commissioners make policy They have a county clerk to keep records The county hires a professional manager to administer policies and services

53. Counties in NC Departments are set up to help the manager carry out policies The manager appoints the heads of most departments- the heads of a few like the sheriff’s department and register of deeds are elected The manager helps create a budge for the county

54. Municipalities in NC NC municipalities may be called cities, towns, or villages; for example: –Boone is called a town –Charlotte is called a city –Pinehurst is called a village Each has a legislative and executive branch NC has more than 540 municipalities They are all within a county

55. Municipalities in NC All have been incorporated by the state and have a charter that outlines the basic rules for it Each municipality elects its own government and most have a council- manager form of municipal government All have a legislature- generally called a council, board of commissioners, or board of alderman

56. Municipalities in NC Most municipalities have a mayor Most have the people elect the mayor, but in some the board appoints one of its members to be mayor Mayor is usually a political leader but not a chief executive The executive is usually a town manager who is hired to administer the policies

57. Municipalities in NC Many other people work for the municipalities; for example: They have a clerk who keeps officials records They have a police department

58. Local Government Watauga County has 5 county commissioners and a county manager www.wataugacounty.org The Town of Boone has a mayor, a town manager, and a town council with 4 council members (the mayor is also a part of it, bringing it to five people) www.townofboone.net

59. Topics Local Governments Address Land use Zoning (setting aside certain areas for certain activities) Annexation (taking in or adding new territory) Local Ordinances Serving the five functions of government locally Representing the people