Civics 10 Chapter 9 Local Governments Local Governments

Civics 10 Chapter 9 Local Governments

Local Governments • Definition: Units of government found with a state. Examples: counties, cities (municipal), townships • Statistics: 1 national government, 50 state governments. Numbers vary greatly from state to state. Why? Example: Illinois 6, 600 Hawaii 18 • Authority: Local government’s powers are set by the state governments. This is called Unitary Authority (states don’t share powers • National and State Governments do share power. This is called _________?

• 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. • Services: What do local governments do for us? Police Fire Protection Settle Conflicts (courts) Public Education Utilities Health/Welfare Recreation/Park- Rec Run cultural Centers Garbage/Sewer/Water Other things to remember: A. Services provided at local level depend on: population/location/climate, natural resources available B. Local governments reflect customs/traditions, goals and values of the citizens they share.

County Governments • Largest unit of local government • Louisiana has parishes/Alaska has boroughs • Connecticut & Rhode Island don’t have county governments • Counties serve as administrative centers for most states • County seat is where the county business is conducted. – Examples: drivers license, marriage, divorce, court hearings, etc.

• Trivia: -San Bernadino County (southern California) is the largest county in the US in area (20, 102 sq miles) -Los Angeles County is the largest in population (9. 8 million) -Most counties have less than 50, 000 people 3, 024 county governments in the US Delaware has the fewest with 3 Texas has the most with 254 Minnesota has ______ counties

• Services 1. Helps collect property and state taxes 2. Carry out welfare services 3. Handle elections- set up polls, prepare ballots, etc. 4. Law Enforcement- County Sherriff’s Department 5. Court 6. Jails 7. Repair roads 8. Supervise schools 9. Record keeping

• Structure County Board: citizens are elected by the people of the county to carry out county business. Membership: (10 -100 which depends on the county’s size) Authority: Legislative- make laws called ordinances Example: zoning ordinance, building permits, feed lots Executive- carry out ordinances Manager- carry out programs created by the county board.

Townships • The primary unit of local government for an unincorporated territory within a rural area. • It is the most democratic form of government in America today (People play a direct role. New England Towns) • Township level of government is known as “Grassroots” government- meaning it is the lowest level or closest to home

Townships in MN • MN is divided into 87 counties • Each county is divided into townships (Number of townships vary county to county) Le. Sueur County has 16 townships • Each township is divided into sections • Each section is 640 acres or 1 sq mile

• Land measurement 1 section= 640 acres 1/2 section= 320 acres 1/4 section= 160 acres 1/8 section= 80 acres 1/16 section= 40 acres 640 acres 160 acres 320 acres 80 acres 40 acres

Special Districts • Carry out a service that citizens want but are not provided by other area governments Example: flood control, soil and water conservation, waste disposal, school districts • Most numerous of all government units (over 44, 000) • School District 1. Board of Education (elected officials or appointed)- they hire teachers, maintain school grounds, etc. 2. Superintendent (hired) 3. Administration- Principal (hired) *In 1957 there were 67, 000 school districts/today fewer than 16, 025. Why the decrease? Advantages/Disadvantages

Municipalities • Urban area governed by the local governmental unit Examples: 1. cities- largest populations (New York City has 8 million people) 2. towns These are smaller 3. villages in population size 4. boroughs • Municipalities meet certain needs of their citizens: police, fire, electric and water service, public transportation, street maintenance, park and recreation

• How are new municipalities established? The process is called incorporation. The reason they are formed is population growth. • Process: 1. Petition 2. Election- enough voters must agree to form the municipal government 3. Prepare a Charter- name of the municipality, boundaries, organizational structure, powers Home Rule: the state allows the people of an area to write their own charter but they must follow state laws (example- speed limits)

3 Forms of City (Municipal) Government A. Mayor-Council Government (most common) 1. Mayor is the executive (similar to president? ) elected position. Works with the state and national leaders, spokesperson for the city. Term is 2 -4 years. 2. City Council is the legislative body (Congress? ). Makes laws, develops new projects (roads, parks, etc) 6 or fewer members. Larger cities have more. Most are elected- one from each ward…( a geographical section of a city)

• Mayor Council Continued 3. Weak Mayor Plan- mayor has limited powers. City council has most of the power. It works best in smaller towns. 4. Strong Mayor Plan- mayor has full executive authority. Full veto power, plays a major part in budget planning, etc. It works best in large cities like Chicago.

B. Council/Manager Government 1. Citizens elect a city council, the council then hires a manager to care for day to day business operations. 2. Duties: - Appoints department heads and other leaders - Prepares budget - Council may fire the manager if they’re not satisfied with performance (Dallas, Fort Worth TX)

C. Commission Government (least common) 1. Citizens elect city leaders (usually 3 -7) 2. Board of Commissioners handle both legislative and executive duties. Each commissioner heads one or more departments Examples: police, health, finance, fire (Galveston, TX has a commission type government)