Local government in the United States

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Local government in the United States (sometimes referred to as municipal government in American English) is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties (known in Louisiana as parishes and as boroughs in Alaska), and municipalities. In turn there are several different types of municipal government, generally reflecting the needs of different levels of population densities; although the types and nature of these municipal entities varies from state to state, typical examples include the city, town, and village.

In addition to the above, there are also often local or regional special districts that exist for specific purposes, such as to provide fire protection, sewer service, transit service or to manage water resources. In many states, school districts manage the schools. Such special purpose districts often encompass areas in multiple municipalities.

Finally, in some places the different tiers are merged together, for example as a consolidated city-county.

County vs. municipal government

Almost all of the states are subdivided into counties. These can exist both for the implementation of the state government's policies, and also as local governments in their own right. The locality which houses the county's main offices is known as the county seat.

Municipalities are generally formally incorporated entities in built-up areas. They usually operate with a degree of autonomy.

Both types of government often operate in the same area, albeit with different responsibilities. Generally in heavily urbanised areas the city government will have considerable powers, with the county government conversely having relatively few (or even none).

Unlike in some other countries, both types of government often have powers to tax both local residents and businesses and to incur public debt. In some areas this means the power to raise a local income tax. County governments in some states also have the ability to add a percentage to the state sales tax. In California, the taxation power of municipalities is strictly limited by Proposition 13, a 1978 amendment to the state constitution.

Responsibilities of county governments generally include local highway maintenance as well as the provision of refuse collection and recycling facilities in unincorporated areas. Municipal governments are usually responsible for public safety (policing and the fire department).

In most states county and municipal governments exists side-by-side. There are exceptions to this, however; in Virginia, for example, a number of major urban areas exist as independent cities, which exist outside the county framework; similarly, some states have merged city and county governments for some of their biggest cities (examples of this are Carson City in Nevada, and San Francisco in California).

In areas lacking an incorporated municipal government, the county government is generally responsible for providing all services.

Institutions

The nature of both county and municipal government varies not only between states, but also between different counties and municipalities within them. Local voters are generally free to choose the basic framework of government from a selection established by state law.

In most cases both counties and municipalities have a governing council, governing in conjunction with a mayor or president. Alternatively, the government may be run by a city manager under direction of the city council. In the past the municipal commission was also common.

In addition to elections for a council or mayor, elections are often also held for positions such as local judges, the sheriff (head of the county's police department), and other offices.

Municipalities

Municipalities range in size from the very small (e.g., the Village of Dexter, Michigan, with about 2,500 people), to the very large (e.g., the City of Los Angeles, California, with about 4 million people), and this is reflected in the range of types of municipal governments that exist in different areas.

Most municipalities have a planning department or planning commission. Whether they have other departments or contract out for services (such as accounting and legal services) depends upon the size of the municipality, its legal status (e.g., whether it's a city or village), and so on. San Francisco, for example, has a population of about 750,000 living in a compact geographical area, and has a merged city and county government with a significant budget that is used to provide services through various departments; in contrast,the City of Ypsilanti, Michigan, with a population of about 24,000, contracts its legal services out to a local law firm, and does not even have its own district attorney.

The names given to the various types of municipal government don't necessarily correspond to usage of the same terms in other English-speaking countries; for example, in British English, a "city" implies an urban area with a large population, whereas in parts of the United States the term can be applied to communities of only a few hundred people.

Other types of government

New England town meeting

[To be written.]

Indian reservations

While their territory nominally falls within the boundaries of individual states, Indian reservations actually function outside of their control. The reservation is usually controlled by an elected tribal council which provides local services.

Census of local government

A census of all local governments in the country is performed every 5 years by the United States Census Bureau, in accordance with 13 USC 161.

Governments in the United States2002 Census of Governments; Volume 1, No. 1, Government Organization. U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/gc021x1.pdf (not including insular areas)
Type	Number
Federal	1
State	50
County	3,034
Municipal (city)	19,429
Town or township	16,504
School district	13,506
Special purpose (utility, fire, police, library, etc.)	35,052
Total	87,576

Examples of local government in individual states

The following sections provide details of the operation of local government in a selection of states, by way of example of the variety that exists across the country.

California

California has several different and overlapping forms of local government. Cities, counties, and the one city and county can make ordinances (local laws), including the establishment and enforcement of civil and criminal penalties.

The entire state is subdivided into counties (e.g. Santa Clara County). The most important municipal type is the city (e.g. Los Angeles). Uniquely within the state, San Francisco is both a city and a county under state law, and combines the powers of the two.

There are also numerous "special district", areas with a defined territory in which a specific service is provided; examples include mosquito abatement districts and fire protection district. These areas cannot make laws, but do have the power to make administrative regulations that often have the force of law.

Revenue is raised through local taxation, and the issue of public bonds.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia is unique within the United States in that it is under the direct authority of the U.S. Congress, rather than forming part of any state. Actual government has been delegated to a city council which effectively also has the powers given to county governments in other areas.

Georgia

The state of Georgia is divided into 159 counties (the largest number of any state other than Texas), each of which has had home rule since at least 1980. This means that Georgia's counties not only act as units of state government, but also in much the same way as municipalities.

All municipalities are classed as a "city", regardless of population size. For an area to be incorporated as a city special legislation has to be passed by the General Assembly (state legislature); typically the legislation requires a referendum amongst local voters to approve incorporation, to be passed by a simple majority. This most recently happened in 2005 in Sandy Springs, a city of 85,000 bordering Atlanta.

City charters may be revoked either by the legislature or by a simple majority referendum of the city's residents; the latter last happened in 2004, in Lithia Springs. Revocation by the legislature last occurred in 1995, when dozens of cities were eliminated en masse for not having active governments, or even for not offering at least three municipal services required of all cities.

New cities must not incorporate land less than 3 miles (4.8km) from an existing city, though this and the 1995 municipal services law were suspended in order to create Sandy Springs. Later annexations could still bring the newer and older cities' limits closer to (or directly up to) each other however.

Unlike most states, there are no minimum requirements based on geographical area or size of population .

Three areas have a "consolidated city-county" government: Columbus, since 1971; Athens, since 1991; and Augusta, since 1996.

Hawaii

Hawaii is the only U.S. state that has no incorporated municipalities at all. Instead it has four counties plus the "consolidated city-county" of Honolulu. All communities are considered to be census-designated places, with the exact boundaries being decided upon by co-operative agreement between the Governor's office and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Kalawao County is the smallest county in the United States, and is often considered part of Maui County.

Louisiana

In Louisiana, counties are called parishes; likewise, the county seat is known as the parish seat. The difference in nomenclature does not reflect a fundamental difference in the nature of government, but is rather a reflection of the state's unique status as a former French colony (although a small number of other states once had parishes too).

New York

For details of local government in this state, see: Administrative divisions of New York.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 67 counties. Its incorporated areas are known as cities, boroughs, and townships.

With the exception of Philadelphia, which has been a consolidated city-county since 1952, all counties are governed by three to seven county commissioners who are elected every four years; the district attorney, county treasurer, sheriff, and certain classes of judge ("judges of election") are also elected separately.

Townships, the most basic municipal unit in Pennsylvania, are divided into one of two classes, depending on their population size. Townships of the "First Class" have a board made up of five to nine commissioners who are elected either at-large or for a particular ward, while those of the "Second Class" have a board of three to five supervisors who are elected at-large. Both commissioners and supervisors serve a four-year term.

However, some townships have adopted a home rule charter which allows them to choose their form of government. One example is Upper Darby Township, in Delaware County, which has chosen to have a "mayor-council" system similar to that of a borough.

Boroughs in Pennsylvania are governed by a "mayor-council" system in which the mayor has only a few powers (usually that of overseeing the municipal police department, if the borough has one), while the borough council has very broad appointment and oversight. The council president, who is elected by the majority party every two years, is equivalent to the leader of a council in the United Kingdom; his or her powers are operate within boundaries set by the state constitution and the borough's charter. A small minority of the boroughs have dropped the mayor-council system in favor of the council-manager system, in which the council appoints a borough manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the borough.

Cities in Pennsylvania are divided into three classes: Class 1, Class 2, Class 2A, and Class 3. Class 3 cities, which are the smallest, have either a mayor-council system or a council-manager system like that of a borough, although the mayor or city manager has more oversight and duties compared to their borough counterparts. Pittsburgh and Scranton are the state's only Class 2 and Class 2A cities respectively, and have mayors with some veto power, but are otherwise still governed mostly by their city councils.

Philadelphia is the state's only Class 1 city. It has a government similar to that of the state itself, with a mayor with strong appointment and veto powers and a 15-member city council that has both law-making and confirmation powers, although unlike its state-level counterpart (the General Assembly), it does not have the authority to override the mayor's veto. Certain types of legislation that can be passed by the city government require state legislation before coming into force.

Unlike the other cities in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia city government also has oversight of county government, and as such controls the budget for the district attorney, sherriff, and other county offices that have been retained from the county's one-time separate existence; these offices are elected for separately than those for the city government proper.

West Virginia

West Virginia has 55 counties, which are themselves divided into districts and incorporated cities. The districts exist only for taxation purposes and are otherwise governed at the county level. The incorporated cities have home rule powers.

External links

• [National League of Cities]
• [National Association of Counties]
• [American Public Works Association]
• [National Association of County Engineers]
• [Association of Development Organizations]
• [National Association of Towns and Townships]
• [National Center for Small Communities]
• [International City Management Association (ICMA)]
• [Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington (MRSC)]
• [U.S. Census Bureau page for local government]

 

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