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Shea, Green, and Smith
Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Chapter 25:
Local Government in Texas
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
Local Government in Texas
1900: Galveston hurricane kills 6,000 people, leading to commission form of
government.
1912: Cities granted home rule authority.
1913: Amarillo and Terrell adopt council-manager government.
1933: Counties given home rule powers; authority never used and repealed in 1969.
1963: Cities given expanded annexation powers.
1965: Creation of councils of governments.
1971: Interlocal contracting among local governments authorized.
1975: Voting Rights Act covers Texas, resulting in concerted legal attacks on
election systems of local governments.
1981: San Antonio elects the first Hispanic mayor, Henry Cisneros.
1995: Election of the first African American mayor, Ron Kirk, in Dallas.
1997: Election of the first African American mayor, Lee Brown, in Houston.
2000: 83% of the state’s population lives in urbanized areas.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
Municipal Government
Majority of population lives in cities
Over 1,200 incorporated municipalities
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments in
the Texas Political System
General-Law and Home Rule Cities
Home Rule
The right of a city of more
than 5,000 citizens to adopt
any form of government the
residents choose, provided it
does not conflict with the
state constitution or
statutes.85
General-law cities
– Less than 5,000
residents
– Only enumerated powers
Home rule cities
– 5,000 residents or more
– Citizens adopt a charter
Charter
State-authorized document that defines the structure,
powers, and responsibilities of a city government.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
Mayor-Council: The legislative function is vested in the
city council and the executive function in the mayor
Strong Mayor: Mayor given considerable power, including
budgetary control and appointment as well as removal
authority over city department heads.
City Commission: Elected commissioners collectively
serve as a city’s policy-making body and individually serve
as administrative heads of different city departments.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments in
the Texas Political System
City Government
Mayor-Council
Most common form
is weak or
strong mayor
Example of Weak Mayor Form of Government
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments in
the Texas Political System
Example of Weak Mayor
Form of Government
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
City Commission
• Emerged in the twentieth century
• Development spurred by Galveston flood, 1900
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
Council–Manager
• First used in Amarillo and Terrell in 1913
• Nonpartisan city elections
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Local Governments
in the Texas Political System
City Manager
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Municipal Election Systems
Nonpartisan City Elections
– Most common form
At-large Elections
– Most representatives in Texas
elected this way
Single-Member Districts
Legal Attacks on At-Large Elections
– Challenged by minority groups
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Pathways of Action:
What Type of Electoral System Produces the
Most Responsive City Council?
Those in favor of partisan, single-member districts
make for greater accountability and access
Critics of the at-large system say that single-member
districts are more responsive
– Also, such critics claim that at-large districts
disadvantage African Americans and Hispanics
because minority voting is diluted
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
City Budgeting and Urban Challenges
City Budgets
Dependent on
regressive taxes.
State limits property
taxes.
Citizens can petition for
a rollback election.
Rollback Election: Election in which local voters in Texas
can nullify a property tax increase that exceeds 8%—or 4% for
a school district—in a given year
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
City Budgeting and Urban Challenges
Urban Problems in Texas
The graying of Texas
cities
“White flight”
Declining
infrastructures
Crime and urban
violence
State and federally
mandated programs
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Pathways Profile:
Ron Kirk and Lee Brown
First African American mayors of
Dallas and Houston, respectively
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
County Government in Texas
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
County Government in Texas
254 counties, more than any
other state
No legislative power
Administrative function
Highly fragmented structure
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
County Government in Texas
Commissioners Court and
County Judge
County Clerk
County and District Attorneys
Tax Assessor-Collector
County Law Enforcement
County Auditor
County Treasurer
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Special Districts
and Councils of Government
Governed by a board
Some have taxing and borrowing authority
Created for various reasons
– To depoliticize, for instance school districts
– To manage services where existing
governments can’t or won’t
Special Districts: Units of local government created by the state
to perform specific functions not met by cities or counties,
including the provision of public services to unincorporated areas.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Special Districts
and Councils of Government
Consequences of Single-Purpose Districts
Contribute to fragmentation of local governments
Small budgets hamper effectiveness, and retention
of employees
Some districts expand beyond their original
mandate
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Special Districts
and Councils of Government
Independent School Districts
Basic structure
for public education
Founded in constitution
of 1876
Inequities in the system
from the beginning
Local School Governance
– Texas Education Agency
– School boards
– School superintendents
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Special Districts
and Councils of Government
Councils of Governance
Created under Texas Regional Planning Act
of 1965
Designed to promote collaboration and
cooperation
Councils of Government (COGs): Councils
comprised of representatives of other governments
in a defined region of the state of Texas.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Special Districts
and Councils of Government
Councils of Governance
COGs in southwest Texas
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman
Chapter 25: Local Government in Texas
Solutions to the Problems of
Local Government
Privatization
Annexation and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
Modernization of County Government
Economic Development
Interlocal Contracting
Metro Government and Consolidation
Public Improvement Districts
Annexation Powers: The
authority of a city to grow,
subject to restrictions set
by state law.
Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Texas Edition
Extraterritorial Jurisdiction:
In Texas, the power of an
incorporated city to control
development in nearby
unincorporated areas.
Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman