focusNode
Didn't know it?
click below
Knew it?
click below
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into
your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Local Government in Texas
Decentralized nation | A country, such as the US, that possesses many units of local government controlled by citizens at the local level (US = most decentralized in world!) |
Nationwide, about ______ units of local government. ______ in Texas. | 90,000 5,000 |
All local governments are creatures of the _______ and power is derived from _________________ | State State constitutions and statutes |
General-purpose governments | A government given broad discretionary authority by the state government |
Limited-purpose governments | A government that has very limited authority or control over its finances and is governed by a set structure |
School districts and counties are examples of ________ governments. | Limited purpose |
Texas cities are an example of _________ government. | General-purpose |
City governments are technically ___________ | Municipal corporations |
State government grants _________ to cities. | Charters. A document like a constitution, basic structure and organization, outline of power and authority |
General-law city | A city whose charter is created by state statutes (can choose from 7) 938 |
Home-rule city | A city whose charter is created by the actions of local citizens. Pop must be 5,000+ |
Implicit or explicit prohibition on city ordinance power | Limitation on the power of cities, preventing them from passing ordinances that are explicitly prohibited by state law and from passing ordinances that by implication may violate state law |
Home-rul charters may be amending IF | approval of city voters |
Incorporation | The process of creating a city government. Petition, election held, voters must approve, state issues charter |
Requirements to become a city in Texas | 201 citizens within 2-squre mile area signed by 10% of voters and 50% of landowners County judge calls election City is created, general-law charter adopted. Second election held to elect officials. |
Extra territorial jurisdiction | City powers that extend beyond the city limits to an adjacent area |
A city may/maynot be incorporated within the ETJ of existing city unless that city approves. | MAY NOT |
Cities can ______ lands inside their ETJ. | Annex. City council, majority vote, unilaterally annes land |
Impact, Texas | Allow for sale of liquor. Abilene. Surrounded. Law passed creating ETJ, limiting incorporation of cities inside them. |
Two basic forms of government in US and Texas: | Mayor-council and council-manager |
Traditional form of city government is | mayor-council |
Weak executive | Mayor shares power, authority limited, terms limited, little or no veto |
Strong executive | Appoint/remove, budget, no term limits, can veto |
There are many more _________ forms in the general-law cities in Texas than in home-rule cities. | Mayor-council |
Galveston unique government style | Commission form. Five commissioners to oversee rebuilding of city after hurricane. Single body of government.Transition. |
Most popular form of government in Texas cities | Council-manager |
Council-manager | A form of government in which voters elect a mayhor and a city council; the mayor and the city council appoint a professional administrator to manage the city. All cities EXCEPT HOUSTON |
City manger can do what? | Appoint/remove heads of departments, responsible for budget and execution, day-to-day |
_________ is the policy-making body. | Council |
p. 785 | mission, policy, administration, management |
In council-manager govt, mayor is | NOT chief executive. NO separation of powers. member of city council. leader, presides, reps. |
City manager | Official hired by the city council to manage the city and serve as chief administrative officer |
Single-member district | A system in which the city is divided into election districts and only the voters living in that district elect the council member from that district. Tranditional method. MOST |
At-large election system | System in which all voters in the city elect the mayor and city council members |
Cumulative voting | A system in which voters can concentrate all their votes on one canidate rather than casting one vote for each office up for election |
Preferential voting | A system that allows voters to rank candidates for the city council |
Many cities have moved since Voting Rights Act was amended from ___________ to ___________ | At-large system to SMD. More minorities! |
Mayors are generally elected in | at-large elections |
Nonpartisan elections | Ballot form in which voters are unable to determine the party of candidates by looking at the ballot. About 70% are elected this way now. |
No city to date has used ______ elections. | Partisan |
Voter turnout in city elections is _______ | Quite low. Lower than state. Low as 4% , rarely about 25% |
Reasons for low voter turnout | off-year elections, lack of contested races, low levels of voter interest |
Off-year elections | Local elections held at a different time of year from state and national elections |
______ and ______ more accurately describe what happens in county government. | Patronage and politics |
Local governments in Texas collect taxes from two primary sources: | Property tax, sales tax |
Sales tax broken down | 6.25 state 2.0 local 8.25 total |
State-level property tax in texas? | NO |
As taxes climb, local govt must abide by more and more mandates. | Laws passed by federal and state that apply to local. |
Unfunded or underfunded mandates | Laws enacted by federal or state governments that impose responsibilites and financial burdens on city and county governments |
Oldest type of local government in US | County government |
County government | The oldest type of local government, adapted from British, whose numbers vary greatly among states; it is the primary administrative arm of a state govt, providing services such as voter registration, courts and jails, roads and bridges |
Texas has _______ county governments. | 254 |
County govt originally intended as _________ of state govt. | Subdivision, arm. Voter registrar, marriage, birth, car registration, courts. |
All Texas counties provide | Road construction, police. SOME: Hospitals, libraries, parks |
How many counties in US? | 3043 |
In TExas, _____% of op live in 10 largest urban counties. | 56 |
How are heads of major departments chosen? | Elected@ |
County commissioner's court | Legislative body made up of five elected officials that governs Texas counties. 1 constitutional county judge, 4 county commissioners Local ordinances, budgets, programs, oversee govt. |
County judge _____________ Commissioners _______________ | Elected at large single-member districts called commissioner precinct 4 year term. Partisan. |
Constitutional county judge | Chief administrative officer of the county commissioner's court; may also have judicial duties in rural counties |
Where county courts of law are created, constitutional county judge | has very limited judicial functions |
Seven constitutionally prescribed officers are elected by voters: | Sheriff, district atttorney, county attorney, tax assessor collector, district clerk, county clerk, county treasurer |
County sheriff | Elected head law enforcement officer for a county who in smaller counties may act as the tax assessor collector |
Constables | Elected county law enforcement court officers |
County and district attorneys | Elected chief prosecuting attorneys for criminal cases |
Tax assessor collector | Elected officer responsible for collecting revenue for the state and the county. Voter registrars, licenses, permits, property tax |
Tax assessment districts governed by | Board elected by the governing bodies of all govt in the jurisdiction |
County clerk | Elected chief record keeper for the county. Marriage, birth, other records. |
District clerk | Elected official who maintains county and district court records. Court official. |
County treasurer | ELected official who manages county funds |
District judge | Elected official who appoints the county auditor. If under 10,000, don't have to have auditor. Acts as budget officer. |
Challenges to county govt | Lack of power, plural executive, Hire own staff, not always competent, designed for rural, lack general ordinacne authority, inequity of financial resources |
Texas Association of Counties | Umbrella organization that represents elected county officials. Oopses granting county govt home rule. |
Special districts are often referred to as _________ governments. | Shadow. |
Examples of special districts: | fire, water, sewer, mass transport, soil and water conservation, flood conrtol |
MUDS Municipal utility districts | Multifunction districts generally created outside cities to provide water, sewage, and other services |
Multiconty special districts are governed by ______________. Single-county special districts usually have ______________. | Boards appointed by governmental units covered by district. Board of directors elected by voters. |
Many special districts do/dont have taxation authority? | DO. |
Demand today is not for consolidation but for | decentralization with "open-enrollment charter schools" |
Independent school districts | School districts that are not attached to any other unit of govt and operate schools in Texas. All but 1 of 1089. Seven member school board elected some single-member, most at large, all nonpartisan. |
Issues in school politics | Finance, quality, curriculum. |
State pays about ______% of education cost. | 38% Local districts provide remainder. Property tax. |
"Robin Hood plan" | nickname for provision in the education statutes that consolidated property taxes so that they are distributed among rich and poor districts; revised later to require rich districts with a property tax base per pupil above 305,000 to share wealth |
_______% of school districts in texas are poor districts. | 90 |
Perry called special session for school finance. Redo. | Reduction in property tax for homes, more for business, tax increase on smoking, more franchise tax for businesses |
House Bill 72 | Funding for teacher pay raise. Required state's teachers to pass a test to prove their competency. No-pass no-play. |
First school accountability program under | Anne Richards. Then Bush, Texas Assesment of Academic Skills (penalized low-income and minority) |
Three curriculum issues | Sex education, intelligent design, bilingual education |
Which of the following is an example of a general purpose government?
General purpose governments include all counties, cities, towns, townships, villages and other jurisdictions serving as the primary government in an area. Special districts consist of school districts, water authorities, parks districts and other public entities serving a more specific function.
How many county governments are there in Texas?
Texas' 254 counties range in population from more than 4 million people (Harris County) to just over 100 (Loving County, on the New Mexico border).
Which of the following is the most popular form of city government in Texas today quizlet?
The most common form of city government found in Texas is the strong mayor-council form. Community colleges educate over ______ Texans each year. An elected county officer who serves as the judicial officer for minor civil and criminal cases is ______.
What are some of the reasons that local elections have lower voter turnout than other elections quizlet?
What are some of the reasons that local elections have lower voter turnout than other elections? - The are conducted in off years. - There are uncontested seats.