Class Lecture

Georgia Performance Standard
SS8CG5
• The student will analyze the role of local governments in the state of Georgia. a. Explain the origins, functions, purposes, and differences of county and city governments in
Georgia. b. Compare and contrast the weak mayorcouncil, the strong mayor-council, and the council-manager forms of city government. c. Describe the functions of special-purpose governments.

3 Branches of Government:
“Top to Bottom”
• Federal
1.
Executive- President, VP, Cabinet
2.
Legislative- Congress (Senate & House of Representatives)
3.
Judicial- Federal Court System
• State
1.
Executive- Governor, Lt. Governor, Executive Offices
2.
LegislativeGeorgia’s General Assembly (Senate & House of
Representatives)
3.
Judicial- State Court System
• Local (County)
1.
Executive- Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
2.
Legislative- Board of Commissioners
3.
Judicial- County Courts (ex. Probate Court)

3 Branches of Government:
“Top to Bottom”
• Local (County Schools)
1. Executive- Superintendent
2. Legislative- Board of Education
3. Judicial- Works with Juvenile Justice System
• Local (City) Example: Mayor-Council Form
1. Executive- Mayor
2. Legislative- City Council
3. Judicial- Municipal Court System (Traffic
Court)

• Facts
1. Local governments are the most numerous of all governments in the U.S.
2. Georgia has 159 counties, and each of the counties has a governmental organization. Counties are subdivisions of the state, set up to carry out government functions.
3. In addition to the counties, there are many cities in
Georgia. Each of them has a government.
4. Not only are local governments the most numerous forms of governance, they are also the closest to the people and the most likely to affect the people directly.

County Government
(Taxes)
• County government taxes provide funding for:
1. County administration
2. Police (The Sheriff’s Department)
3. Court and legal systems
4. Construction and maintenance of roads and bridges
5. Public health facilities
6. Medical assistance (for the poor and dependent children)
7. Parks/Libraries
8. Public Schools

County Government
(Powers)
• County government has the power to:
1. Levy property taxes
2. Levy local sales taxes
3. Create fines and penalties (traffic tickets)
4. Regulating licenses and permits
5. Implement usage fees (example: for county parks)
6. Pass laws and regulations

County Board of Commissioners:
Governing the County
• Counties are generally governed by a Board of
Commissioners.
• The board members are elected to four year terms in office.
• The Board of Commissioners meet at the county seat
(the capital of the county).
• The Board of Commissioners sets levels of government services to be provided by each department of county government.
• The Board of Commissioners creates an annual budget, establishes county policies, levies local taxes, and makes laws for the county.
• The Chairman of the Board is generally the counties’ chief executive.

• The chairman has the following responsibilities:
1. Appoints department heads.
2. To carry out policies set by the county commission.

• Examples of elected county officials include:
1. Sheriff
2. Coroner
3. Probate Judge
4. Court/County Clerk
5. Commissioners

• Examples of appointed county officials include:
1. Tax Assessor
2. EMS Director
3. Fire Chief
4. Building Inspectors
5. County Attorney

County Government:
School Board & Superintendent
• Facts
1. Members are elected by voters.
2. Board members appoint a
Superintendent of Schools.
3. The Board creates policies for schools.
4. The Superintendent implements these policies through executive orders.

• A city with its own government is called a municipality.
Cities get their permission to operate from the Georgia General Assembly.
There are over 600 municipalities in Georgia.
• Governing Actions taken by cities:
1. Providing police protection
2. Licensing of businesses
3. Maintenance of streets
4. Traffic Control
5. Provision of water and sewage services

• 3 types of city government include:
1. Mayor-Council Form
2. Council Manager Form
3. Commissioner Form

City Government: Mayor-Council
Form (Strong Executive)
• In the mayor-council style of government, the elected city council is responsible for making the laws.
• An elected mayor acts as the city’s chief executive officer with the responsibility for seeing that the laws are carried out and that city agencies do their jobs.

City Government: Council-Manager
Form (Weak Executive)
• In the council manager form of city government, the voters elect a city council that appoints a city manager.
• The council establishes laws, and the city manager is responsible for appointing the heads of city governments and for seeing that they carry out their jobs.

City Government: Commissioner
Form (No Executive)
• In the cities with a commissioner form of government, the voters elect commissioners.
• Each commissioner is the head of a department within the city government, and an executive could be elected by the commissioners from among themselves.

• Special Purpose Districts provide services and have their own set of regulations governing them.
• Special Purpose districts are created for a single job or single group of tasks
• Examples:
1. School Systems
2. MARTA- Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
3. The Public Housing Authority
4. Fire Departments
5. Parks and Recreation Authorities
6. Airport and Port Authorities