Chapter 8 The First Active Government That at the Local Level 90 00 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTIES 3 000 MUNICIPALITIES 19 000 TOWNSHIPS 17 000 SCHOOL DISTRICTS 15 000 SPECIAL DISTRICTS 37 000 Number of Local Governments School Districts 60 000 40 000 20 000 s t n e m n r e v o G f o r e b m u N 0 Special Districts Municipalities Townships Counties 1992 Year 1952 1967 1987 1997 2002 2007 Population and Local Governments TX CA 7 0 0 2 s t n e m n r e v o G l a c o L f o r e b m u N 6 000 r 57 IL PA 4 000 KS MO MN IN OH WI MI ND NE CO 2 000 SD IA OK WA AR OR MS CT UT NV MT ID NM ME VT WY NH DE HI AK RI WV GA NJ NC KY TN AL SC MA AZ LA MD VA 0 NY FL 0 10 000 000 30 000 000 40 000 000 20 000 000 Population 2007 Figure 8 1 Local Government Expenditures 2005 Insurance trust Housing Parks and Recreation Corrections Solid Waste Sewerage Health Welfare Interest on debt Highways Hospitals Administration Education Police Utilities Other COUNTY GOVERNMENT Counties the oldest form of local government in America BOARD or Legislative body in Texas Commissioners Court ELECTED EXECUTIVES SHERIFF CONSTABLE COUNTY CLERK TAX ASSESSOR TREASURER COUNTY ATTORNEY APPOINTED EXECUTIVES INDIVIDUALS AND BOARDS AUDITOR HEALTH OFFICER CORONER LIBRARY BOARD BUREAUCRACY NO CIVIL SERVICE REQUIREMENT COUNTY ORGANIZATION SHERIFF ASSESSOR COMMISSIONERS DIST ATTORNEY TREASURER VOTERS APPOINTED BOARDS COUNTY REVENUE PROPERTY TAX 50 LICENSES AND FEES GRANTS FINES COUNTY BUDGET LAW ENFORCEMENT 50 ROADS AND BRIDGES 10 30 HEALTH AND WELFARE 10 Cities Managed Environments Historical Development of City Government From the Middle Ages cities have been granted charters that have established a measure of autonomy for them American states including Texas originally chartered cities under general laws in order to avoid disputes over city politics The inflexibility of the general laws prompted Texas to permit beginning in 1912 home rule for cities with a population over 5 000 Traditionally municipalities were organized into one of three types of governments mayor council commission and council manager and today hybrid forms of government that combine mayor council and council manager are growing in popularity MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT MAYOR COUNCIL 41 COUNCIL MANAGER 50 COMMISSION 3 TOWN MEETING 6 Cities Managed Environments The Mayor Council Form In this form of city government which has two variants known as the weak mayor council form and the strong mayor council form council members are elected at large or by districts and the mayor is elected at large In the weak mayor form other executives such as the city attorney and the city treasurer are also elected In the strong mayor form the mayor appoints other executives and has more significant budgetary and veto powers The terms strong and weak in this context refer to the formal powers given the mayor by the city charter and do not address an individual mayor s ability to influence local politics in informal ways MAYOR COUNCIL VOTERS WARDS COUNCIL MAYOR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS Cities Managed Environments continue The Mayor Council Form The strong mayor form is most common among the nation s largest cities while in small communi ties the weak mayor form is more prevalent Among the largest cities in Texas Houston is the only ones that operate with mayor council government In order to overcome problems associated with its status as an unreformed or political model some mayor council cities particularly larger ones have an official appointed by the mayor to tend to the internal business of the city while the mayor attends to political matters Many political scientists prefer this form of city government because it seems most likely to provide the kind of leadership needed to deal with the problems of major urban areas Cities Managed Environments The Council Manager Form Texas cities favor this form of city government and in fact Dallas and San Antonio are two of the largest cities in the country using it An elected city council of five to fifteen members appoints a city manager who is responsible for hiring and firing department heads and for preparing the budget A mayor is elected at large or by the council but except for presiding over the council has the same powers as the other council members Proponents of the council manager form have argued that it is the most efficient form of city government and that it allows for some separation of politics and administration but in reality politics and administration cannot be separated completely COUNCIL MANAGER VOTERS COUNCIL CITY MGR Cities Managed Environments Organization of City Government The Commission Form A Historical Footnote This form of city government is said to have originated in Galveston to meet its emergency needs following the city s devastation in 1900 Elected commissioners administer various departments and collectively comprise the policy making board of the city The commission form has lost favor because many believe that individual commissioners tend to become advocates for their departments rather than public interest advocates Today Texas home rule cities no longer use commission government although some general law cities still have this form COMMISSION VOTERS COMMISSION TOWN MEETING VOTERS TOWN MEETING ELECTED OFFICERS Cities Managed Environments What Form is Preferable Council manager government seems to work best in middle sized cities from 25 000 to 250 000 in population These largely suburban cities prefer the emphasis on business like efficiency and political neutrality of the city manager plan Most smaller cities use a mayor council form of government Larger cities which need the political focus provided by an elected mayor use either a mayor council or mayor manager form Table 8 1 Municipal Government Forms Strong Mayor Council Council Manager Town Meeting Commission Checks and Balances Between Legislative and Executive Branches Appointed Executive and Eligible Citizens Who Attend Meeting Act as Executive and Legislature Elected Legislature Legislature Are the Same People Mayor With Formal Symbolic Mayor Symbolic Mayor Only Symbolic Mayor Only Powers Only Also Used by State and Federal Governments Originated in School Government Used Only in New England States Also Used by County Government Competition to Make Public Policy Professional Public Policy Citizens Directly Enact Public Policy Cooperation to Make Public Policy CITY SERVICES POLICE FIRE STREETS SEWAGE Figure 8 6 Median Family Income and City Taxes
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