POLS 1337 1st Edition Lecture #13 Local Government in TX Part IPrevious: Court Systems in Texas Part IIIFunctions of Local Governments ( the following lists are not limited)Functions of Local Government- Make and enforce laws- Planning and monitoring- Create policy- Represent and advocate the concerns of constituents to the stateIssues within our Local Government- Public safety and crime- Transportation- Infrastructure- City Finances and debt- Quality of Life- Economic DevelopmentTypes of Local GovernmentGeneral Purpose Governments A gov. is given broad discretionary authority by the state gov.These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Ex:City and County Governments. (City Gov. in TX w/ 5,000+ people have home rule, allowing them to do what they want)Limited Purpose GovernmentsA gov. that has very limited authority/control over finances, governed by a set structure.Ex: School DistrictsMayor-Council GovernmentsMost common approach for large cities- Mayors have considerable power & autonomy from city council - City council = normally unicameral legislatureWeak Executive MayorMayor lacks authority independent from which the city council grants them “first among equals”- Power is likely to come from the major’s personality (especially in TX)Strong ExecutiveMayor holds more power independently from the city councilEx: Hire/fire department heads- Submits budget (approved by city council)- Veto power (in most
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