local government & quality of life overview of government

Local Government & Quality Local Government & Quality of Lifeof Life

Overview of Government Overview of Government

Three Pillars of a Community’s Three Pillars of a Community’s Quality of LifeQuality of Life

Private SectorPrivate Sector: Engine of the local : Engine of the local economyeconomyNon-Profit SectorNon-Profit Sector: Provider of services : Provider of services which the market and government miss, or which the market and government miss, or can’t providecan’t provideGovernmentGovernment: Provider of essential : Provider of essential amenities and basic services that create a amenities and basic services that create a foundation for smooth transactions, and a foundation for smooth transactions, and a community’s quality of lifecommunity’s quality of life

Local Government’s Contribution Local Government’s Contribution to a Community’s Quality of Lifeto a Community’s Quality of LifeSchools/EducationSchools/Education

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Parks, Recreation, and Leisure

Health CareHealth Care

Environmental ProtectionEnvironmental Protection

TransportationTransportation

HousingHousing

Public Safety Public Safety

Essential Characteristic of Local Essential Characteristic of Local Government is FragmentationGovernment is Fragmentation

Several different jurisdictions providing Several different jurisdictions providing government services in a geographic government services in a geographic region (usually defined as a metro area, or region (usually defined as a metro area, or a county)a county)These include: County, Cities, Villages, These include: County, Cities, Villages, Townships, School Districts, and Special Townships, School Districts, and Special DistrictsDistrictsGovernment’s ability to enhance the Government’s ability to enhance the quality of life in a community is affected quality of life in a community is affected by the degree of fragmentationby the degree of fragmentation

Two Views About Two Views About FragmentationFragmentation

ReformersReformers: Fragmentation has negative : Fragmentation has negative effects on government’s ability to enhance effects on government’s ability to enhance quality of life, and may even contribute quality of life, and may even contribute perniciously to undermining community.perniciously to undermining community.

DecentralistsDecentralists: Fragmentation occurs due : Fragmentation occurs due to individual choices, and preferences for to individual choices, and preferences for autonomy that promote efforts to maintain autonomy that promote efforts to maintain several different units of government, several different units of government, (e.g., schools).(e.g., schools).

Fragmentation in General: Fragmentation in General: Median Metro AreaMedian Metro Area

Total Number of Governments: 104Total Number of Governments: 104– Counties:Counties: 22– CitiesCities 2424– Towns, townshipsTowns, townships 1616– School DistrictsSchool Districts 1919– Special DistrictsSpecial Districts 4343

Fragmentation in Clark County: # Fragmentation in Clark County: # of Governmentsof Governments

CountyCounty 11

CitiesCities 22

VillagesVillages 88

TownshipsTownships 1010

School DistrictsSchool Districts 8 (inc. JVS) 8 (inc. JVS)

Special DistrictsSpecial Districts 10 10– Total # of Governments= 39Total # of Governments= 39

Clark County Fragmentation in Clark County Fragmentation in Comparison to All Ohio CountiesComparison to All Ohio CountiesTotal Number of Taxing Districts in Total Number of Taxing Districts in Clark County = 57Clark County = 57

Ave. number of Taxing Districts in Ave. number of Taxing Districts in Ohio’s 88 Counties = 50; range=18-Ohio’s 88 Counties = 50; range=18-133133

Origins and Functions of Origins and Functions of GovernmentsGovernments

CountyCounty: Administrative units of state : Administrative units of state government. First established by Congress government. First established by Congress under the auspices of the Northwest under the auspices of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. 3-member elected Bd. Ordinance in 1787. 3-member elected Bd. Of Commissioners serving overlapping 4 Of Commissioners serving overlapping 4 yr. Terms. They share power with 8 other yr. Terms. They share power with 8 other independently elected officers: Auditor, independently elected officers: Auditor, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff, and Treasurer. and Treasurer.

Origins and Functions of Clark Origins and Functions of Clark County GovernmentsCounty Governments

TownshipsTownships: Originally created by the : Originally created by the Continental Congress under the Articles of Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1785 according to the Confederation in 1785 according to the basic requirement that land be surveyed basic requirement that land be surveyed for sale. Have been used by the Ohio for sale. Have been used by the Ohio legislature as a way of providing for basic legislature as a way of providing for basic government services in unincorporated government services in unincorporated areas of the county. 3-member Bd. Of areas of the county. 3-member Bd. Of Trustees responsible for basic services Trustees responsible for basic services such as road maintenance, fire protection, such as road maintenance, fire protection, etc.etc.


Cities and Villages: > 5,000 pop Cities and Villages: > 5,000 pop classified as city. Gain charters from classified as city. Gain charters from the state to provide services to the state to provide services to citizens within the corporation citizens within the corporation boundaries.boundaries.– General Act CharterGeneral Act Charter– Option Plan CharterOption Plan Charter– Home Rule CharterHome Rule Charter


Special DistrictsSpecial Districts: Have become : Have become increasingly popular in recent increasingly popular in recent decades as a way to provide decades as a way to provide particular services to certain particular services to certain geographic area.geographic area.

– Port AuthorityPort Authority– Library DistrictsLibrary Districts– Combined Health DistrictCombined Health District

SummarySummaryLocal Governments are “creatures of the Local Governments are “creatures of the state”state”

Fragmentation, whether good or bad, Fragmentation, whether good or bad, creates the need for collaboration and creates the need for collaboration and cooperation among local governments to cooperation among local governments to improve a community’s quality of lifeimprove a community’s quality of life

local government & quality of life overview of government

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