Chapter Nine

State and Local Government

Local Government

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Units of Local Government

Local Governmentsclosest to your daily life

• make rules that protect you and the people of your community• provide services that improve your life• manage your community's …

• road system• water supply• school system

• see their work all around you every day

have grown as the country has grown• as people settled in rural communities, towns, cities, and

suburbs, they set up local governments

local governments• all established by and receive their powers from the state

governments• state constitutions direct the state legislatures to set up a

government for each village, town, city, and county within the state borders

• municipalities • incorporated by the state - legal status of corporations

• includes cities, towns, villages, and boroughs

• have a large degree of self-government• may own property, make contracts, and sue or be sued in court

• cities are largest municipality

Establishing Local Governments

main job of local governments• provide services for citizens• people depend on local government to serve them in many ways

• roads, running water, sewage systems, sidewalks, street cleaning, snow removal, and trash collection

• provide education, keep records, supply public transportation, recreation areas

services depend on a well-run local government• some services may be provided by privately owned companies

• electricity and public transportation• ensure that these services are economical, efficient, and well

managed

Why We Need Local Government

County Governments states are divided into smaller parts called counties

• highest level of local government• number and size of these counties vary from state to state

• Texas has 254, Delaware has only 3, Ohio has 88• the U.S. has more than 3,000 counties

• Louisiana calls its county-level units of government parishes• Alaska refers to its counties as boroughs

county governments serve two main purposes• help the state government collect various state taxes, supervise

elections, and enforce state laws• serve the county residents by providing them with health and

welfare services, law enforcement, libraries, roads, and schools• also serve as boundaries for court districts in many states

centrally located town with government offices = county seat• capital of a county

County Officials the head of a county government is a group of elected officials

• county board (board of commissioners, county court, or board of county supervisors)

• county's legislative body - pass local laws regulating health and safety• may collect taxes on real estate or personal property in the county• supervises county buildings such as the courthouse and jail

county executive• elected by the voters• a county manager may be appointed by the county board

elected executive branch county officials• sheriff enforces the law

• arrests lawbreakers and carries out the orders of the courts• clerk keeps a record of actions and decisions of county board

• keeps records of births, deaths, election results, and marriages• treasurer takes care of the county's funds

• sees that no money is spent unless the county board approves• auditor examines the official financial records

• make sure all transactions are recorded properly• coroner investigates unnatural deaths• prosecutor represents the state government in county trials

local governments most receive charters from the state• basic plan defines its powers, responsibilities, and organization• like a constitution

local governments work closely with state governmentsto make communities better places to live

• local lawmaking bodies have the power to pass regulations that govern the community• ordinances

• have force of a law but must not conflict with state and federal laws• local governments also enforce the laws that are passed by the

state government

state governments rely on local governments to …• make sure that elections are carried out according to state rules• supervise the voting process• provide their communities with polling places• enforce laws that concern weights and measures

• local inspectors• enforce state laws

Local and State Cooperation