local government - Westerville City Schools
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
All Politics is Local!
Local Government
I. CREATED BY THE STATE
2. DEPENDENT ON STATE
GOVERNMENT
3. STATE CONSTITUTIONS SET FORTH
POWERS AND DUTIES OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS
TYPES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A. FOUR BASICS TYPES: COUNTY,
TOWNSHIP, MUNICIPALITY, THE SPECIAL
DISTRICT
B. THE COUNTY IS NORMALLY THE LARGEST
TERRITORIAL AMD POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
OF THE STATE. COUNTIES VARY IN SIZE,
POPULATION, POWER AND INFLUENCE.
County Governments
C. IN MOST METRO AREAS, THE COUNTY
GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN GROWING MORE
POWERFUL.
D. IN MOST COUNTIES, A COUNTY BOARD
HAS BOTH LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE
POWERS. BOARD OFFICIALS ARE USUALLY
ELECTED BY THE VOTERS.
Township Government
F. TOWNSHIPS EXIST IN LESS THAN
HALF OF THE STATES, AND THEIR
POWERS AND DUTIES VARY FROM
STATE TO STATE.
Westerville coexists with both Blendon township and Genoa township.
Townships were created in Ohio by the
Northwest Ordinance (1787).
New England Town Meetings
F. IN NEW ENGLAND, SELECTMEN NOW
MAKE SOME OF THE DECISIONS
CITIZENS ONCE MADE IN TOWN
MEETINGS OR DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Municipal Governme nt
G. THE MUNICIPALITY IS AN URBAN
UNIT OF GOVERNMENT THAT HAS
LEGAL RIGHTS GRANTED TO IT BY THE
STATE.
Special Districts
H. SPECIAL DISTRICT IS A UNIT OF
LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT DEALS
WITH SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS.
The Westerville City
School District is an excellent example of a special district.
Native American Reservations
I. SOME STATES ALSO HAVE A
SEPARATE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT
THAT SERVES ITS NATIVE AMERICAN
POPULATION.
FORMS OF MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENT
A. A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT MAY BE
FORMED WHEN PEOPLE IN A
COMMUNITY ASK THE STATE
LEGISLATURE TO PERMIT A
COMMUNITY TO INCORPORATE.
City Government
B. URBAN AREAS IN THE U.S. ARE ONE
OF THREE BASIC FORMS OF
GOVERNMENT:
1) MAYOR-COUNCIL
2)COMMISSION
3) COUNCIL-MANAGER
Mayor-Council (Coumbus)
C. IN THE MOST WIDELY USED FORM OF
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, THE MAYOR-COUNCIL
FORM, EXECUTIVE POWER BELONGS TO AN
ELECTED MAYOR AND LEGISLATIVE POWER
BELONGS TO AN ELECTED COUNCIL.
Mayor Coleman
Mayor-Council
D. THERE TWO TYPES OF MAYOR-
COUNCIL GOVERNMENT: 1) STRONG
MAYOR SYSTEM AND 2) THE WEAK-
MAYOR SYSTEM.
Commission
E. THE COMMISSION FORM OF
MUNICIPAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT
COMBINES EXECUTIVE AND
LEGISLATIVE POWERS IN AN ELECTED
COMMISSION THAT PASSES LAWS AND
MAKES POLICY DECISIONS.
Council-Manager
F. UNDER THE COUNCIL-MANAGER
FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE
EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE
POWERS ARE SEPARATED. THE
COUNCIL ACTS AS A LEGISLATIVE
BODY AND MAKES POLICY FOR THE
MUNICIPALITY. A MANAGER CARRIES
OUT THE COUNCIL’S POLICIES AND
SERVES AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR.
IV FORM OF GOVERNMENT (SINCE
1916)
A. COUNCIL-MANAGER FORM
B. MAYOR-Kathy Cocuzzi
C. CITY MANAGER- DAVID
COLLINSWORTH.
D. CITY FOUNDED IN: 1858
