City GovernmentCity Government

Vocabulary FoldableVocabulary FoldableMunicipalityMunicipality

Home RuleHome Rule

OrdinanceOrdinance

City CharterCity Charter

Special DistrictSpecial District

Metropolitan AreaMetropolitan Area

Vocabulary FoldableVocabulary FoldableDefinitionDefinition Drawing or SymbolDrawing or Symbol

I. Created by the State I. Created by the State

A. A. Local governments are created by, Local governments are created by, and dependent upon, the state. The and dependent upon, the state. The state may take control or even do away state may take control or even do away with them.with them.

B. B. MunicipalitiesMunicipalities provide services to its provide services to its residents. residents.

C. C. Urban communities can create a city Urban communities can create a city by incorporating. To do this, by incorporating. To do this, they apply they apply to the state legislature for a city to the state legislature for a city chartercharter that that grants power to a local grants power to a local government.government.

D. D. The charter The charter describes the type of describes the type of government, its structure, and its government, its structure, and its powers.powers.

E. Recently state legislatures have begun E. Recently state legislatures have begun to grant to grant home rulehome rule to cities. to cities.

F. F. An urban An urban community may be community may be called a city, town, or called a city, town, or village. Regardless village. Regardless of size, most city of size, most city governments provide governments provide the same basic the same basic services.services.

Forms of City GovernmentForms of City Government

1.1. Mayor- Council FormMayor- Council Form

2.2. Council- Manager FormCouncil- Manager Form

3.3. Commission FormCommission Form

Forms of City Government

Mayor-Council Form

Branches of Govt:

Leaders:

Forms:

1.

2.

Cities Common In:

Council-Manager Form Commission Form

Branches of Govt:

Leaders:

Pros:

Cons:

Cities Common In:

Branches of Govt:

Leaders:

Pros:

Cons:

Cities Common In:

II. The Mayor-Council Form II. The Mayor-Council Form

A. A. In a mayor-council form of In a mayor-council form of government, power is divided government, power is divided between between legislative and executivelegislative and executive branches. branches. Voters elect a Voters elect a mayormayor and and the members of the the members of the city councilcity council..

B. The B. The mayor is the chief executive mayor is the chief executive and and often often appoints the heads of appoints the heads of departments.departments.

C. C. The The councilcouncil acts as the city’s acts as the city’s legislature. It legislature. It approves the budget approves the budget and and passespasses ordinancesordinances. Councils usually . Councils usually consist of fewer than 10 members who consist of fewer than 10 members who serve four-year terms.serve four-year terms.

D. Large cities usually have a D. Large cities usually have a strong-strong-mayor systemmayor system, in which the , in which the mayor has mayor has strong powers such as the power to strong powers such as the power to veto ordinances, appoint and remove veto ordinances, appoint and remove officials, and prepare the budget.officials, and prepare the budget.

E. E. Even in large cities, council Even in large cities, council membership is usually a part-time job. A membership is usually a part-time job. A strong mayor usually works full time.strong mayor usually works full time.

G. G. Smaller towns and a few big citiesSmaller towns and a few big cities have a have a weak-mayor systemweak-mayor system in which in which the mayor’s the mayor’s power is limitedpower is limited. The . The council appoints department heads and council appoints department heads and makes most decisionsmakes most decisions. The . The mayor mayor presides over council meetings but presides over council meetings but votes only in case of a tie.votes only in case of a tie.

III. The Council-Manager Form III. The Council-Manager Form

A. A. The council-manager form is common in The council-manager form is common in medium-sized cities and suburbsmedium-sized cities and suburbs. The . The chief executive chief executive (executive branch)(executive branch) is a is a professionally trained city manager who is professionally trained city manager who is not connected to any political party or not connected to any political party or interest group.interest group.

B. B. The council The council (legislative branch)(legislative branch) appoints appoints and can remove the managerand can remove the manager..

C. C. Council membersCouncil members are usually are usually electedelected in citywide at-large elections.in citywide at-large elections.

D. D. City managersCity managers are not elected and are not elected and are therefore are therefore free from political free from political pressurespressures.. They have They have expert expert knowledgeknowledge and play a major role in and play a major role in policymaking.policymaking.

E. Because citizens do E. Because citizens do not electnot elect the the manager, he manager, he may not provide the may not provide the strong unifying leadershipstrong unifying leadership needed in needed in a large, diverse city.a large, diverse city.

IV. The Commission Form IV. The Commission Form

A. A. A A few citiesfew cities use a commission form of use a commission form of government. They government. They electelect usually usually five five commissionerscommissioners, each heading a , each heading a department.department.

B. Commissioners B. Commissioners perform executive duties for perform executive duties for their departmentstheir departments and meet as a and meet as a commission to commission to pass ordinances and make pass ordinances and make policy decisionspolicy decisions. There is . There is no separation of no separation of powerspowers —commissioners are both —commissioners are both legislators and executives.legislators and executives.

C. C. The The commissioners pick commissioners pick one member one member to act as to act as mayormayor, whose role is largely , whose role is largely ceremoniaceremonial.l.

D. The commission system has D. The commission system has drawbacks. No one person is in charge, drawbacks. No one person is in charge, making making responsibility hard to responsibility hard to pinpointpinpoint.. When commissioners When commissioners disagree, it may be disagree, it may be difficult to make difficult to make decisionsdecisions, , even though they can even though they can make make decisions quicklydecisions quickly..

V. Special Districts V. Special Districts

A. A. A A special districtspecial district deals with functions deals with functions such as such as education, water supply, or education, water supply, or transportationtransportation. Special districts may . Special districts may overlap cities.overlap cities.

B. A B. A board or commission runs the board or commission runs the special districtspecial district. It has . It has the power the power to to collect taxes or charge user feescollect taxes or charge user fees for the for the services.services.

VI. Metropolitan Areas VI. Metropolitan Areas

A. A. If a If a metropolitan areametropolitan area includes includes 50,000 or more 50,000 or more people, it is a people, it is a Metropolitan Statistical Metropolitan Statistical AreaArea. One that includes . One that includes more than one central more than one central city is a Consolidated city is a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Metropolitan Statistical Area.Area.

B. B. Growth of Growth of population and expansion population and expansion of industryof industry in metropolitan areas have in metropolitan areas have created many created many problemsproblems in in transportation, pollution control, and transportation, pollution control, and law enforcementlaw enforcement. Uncontrolled urban . Uncontrolled urban sprawl has created problems in land-sprawl has created problems in land-use management.use management.

C. C. Some large metropolitan areas have Some large metropolitan areas have a council of governments, in which a council of governments, in which the central city joins with its suburbs the central city joins with its suburbs to make area wide decisions about to make area wide decisions about growth.growth.

Create a New CityCreate a New CityYour group represents a city that the state Your group represents a city that the state

legislature has just created and granted legislature has just created and granted home rule. home rule.

Your job is to create a new city and decide Your job is to create a new city and decide what form of government it will have.what form of government it will have.

You should weight the pros and cons of You should weight the pros and cons of each type of government and rank them each type of government and rank them from 1-4 (best to worst) according to the from 1-4 (best to worst) according to the type you think is best. type you think is best.

Be ready to defend your choice! Be ready to defend your choice!

Your New City: ______________________Your New City: ______________________

Type of Type of GovernmentGovernment

ProsPros ConsCons RankRank

Strong-mayorStrong-mayor

Weak-mayorWeak-mayor

Council managerCouncil manager

CommissionCommission