LOCAL GOVERNMENT

All Politics is Local!

Local Government I. CREATED BY THE STATE 2. DEPENDENT ON STATE

GOVERNMENT 3. STATE CONSTITUTIONS SET FORTH

POWERS AND DUTIES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

TYPES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT A. FOUR BASICS TYPES: COUNTY,

TOWNSHIP, MUNICIPALITY, THE SPECIAL DISTRICT

B. THE COUNTY IS NORMALLY THE LARGEST TERRITORIAL AMD POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE. COUNTIES VARY IN SIZE, POPULATION, POWER AND INFLUENCE.

County Governments C. IN MOST METRO AREAS, THE COUNTY

GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN GROWING MORE POWERFUL.

D. IN MOST COUNTIES, A COUNTY BOARD HAS BOTH LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE POWERS. BOARD OFFICIALS ARE USUALLY ELECTED BY THE VOTERS.

Township Government F. TOWNSHIPS EXIST IN LESS THAN

HALF OF THE STATES, AND THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

Westerville coexists with both Blendon township and Genoa township.

Townships were created in Ohio by the Northwest Ordinance (1787).

New England Town Meetings F. IN NEW ENGLAND, SELECTMEN NOW

MAKE SOME OF THE DECISIONS CITIZENS ONCE MADE IN TOWN MEETINGS OR DIRECT DEMOCRACY

Municipal Government G. THE MUNICIPALITY IS AN URBAN

UNIT OF GOVERNMENT THAT HAS LEGAL RIGHTS GRANTED TO IT BY THE STATE.

Special Districts H. SPECIAL DISTRICT IS A UNIT OF

LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT DEALS WITH SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS.

The Westerville City School District is an excellent example of a special district.

Native American Reservations I. SOME STATES ALSO HAVE A

SEPARATE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT THAT SERVES ITS NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION.

FORMS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

A. A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT MAY BE FORMED WHEN PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO PERMIT A COMMUNITY TO INCORPORATE.

City Government B. URBAN AREAS IN THE U.S. ARE ONE

OF THREE BASIC FORMS OF GOVERNMENT:

1) MAYOR-COUNCIL 2)COMMISSION 3) COUNCIL-MANAGER

Mayor-Council (Coumbus) C. IN THE MOST WIDELY USED FORM OF

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, THE MAYOR-COUNCIL FORM, EXECUTIVE POWER BELONGS TO AN ELECTED MAYOR AND LEGISLATIVE POWER BELONGS TO AN ELECTED COUNCIL.

Mayor Coleman

Mayor-Council D. THERE TWO TYPES OF MAYOR-

COUNCIL GOVERNMENT: 1) STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM AND 2) THE WEAK-MAYOR SYSTEM.

Commission E. THE COMMISSION FORM OF

MUNICIPAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT COMBINES EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE POWERS IN AN ELECTED COMMISSION THAT PASSES LAWS AND MAKES POLICY DECISIONS.

Council-Manager F. UNDER THE COUNCIL-MANAGER

FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE POWERS ARE SEPARATED. THE COUNCIL ACTS AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY AND MAKES POLICY FOR THE MUNICIPALITY. A MANAGER CARRIES OUT THE COUNCIL’S POLICIES AND SERVES AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR.

IV FORM OF GOVERNMENT (SINCE 1916)

A. COUNCIL-MANAGER FORM B. MAYOR-Kathy Cocuzzi C. CITY MANAGER- DAVID

COLLINSWORTH. D. CITY FOUNDED IN: 1858