Ch. 12
Local Government Organization
Mayor-Council
The Mayor-Council form is based on the
separation of powers.
Executive power belongs to a mayor.
Legislative power belongs to a city council.
Voters elect both the mayor and the members
of the council.
Mayor-Council
The mayor oversees the running of various city
departments.
The council acts as the city’s legislature by
passing city laws, which are usually called
ordinances. The council also approves the
city’s budget.
Mayor-Council
Most city councils are small
Some cities are divided into voting districts called
wards.
Each ward elects a representative to the city
council. In other cities, council members are
elected at-large.
In an at-large election, council members are elected
by voters in the entire city rather than in
individual wards.
Some cities mix these two systems.
Strong Mayor v. Weak Mayor systems
Strong Mayor
The mayor holds almost
all administrative
authority. The council
have limited oversight.
(Big cities typically use
this)
Strong Mayor v. Weak Mayor systems
Weak Mayor
The council holds
almost all the
administrative
authority, mayor
performs
ceremonial duties.
(small towns
typically use this)
Council-Manager
The city council appoints a city manager to
administer the city’s day-to-day affairs.
The manager draws up a budget for the city, directs
city departments, oversees city workers, etc.
City council members can fire the manager if a
majority of them choose to do so.
Most city managers have special training in areas
such as managing money and city planning but
some are elected.
Council-Manager
Commission Government
Rarely used.
A commission government does not divide
legislative and executive powers. Instead, the
government is split into several separate
departments.
Each of those departments handles a different set
of tasks. Examples include police, fire, finance,
and health.
The heads of these departments are called
commissioners. Each is elected by the city’s
voters.
Chapter 13
Local Issues
Planning commission
A planning commission is a group that gives
advice about future needs. Its goal is to
prepare for and guide the growth of the
community in the future.
(i.e. Westerville
Wal-Mart)
Public Education
Today about 50 million students attend the
nation’s public elementary and secondary
schools. Nearly 6 million other students go to
private schools. About 1.5 million are home
schooled.
Education: Federal Government
The Federal Government provides about 8 percent of
school funding. In return, it requires local schools to
follow certain rules. (i.e. meeting the needs of students
with disabilities.)
In recent years, the federal government’s role in public
education has grown.
2001 President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left
Behind Act. To get a share of the $26.5 billion the law
provided, states had to test all students
in grades three through eight in reading,
science, and math.
Education: Federal Government
In 2009, President Barack Obama signed a law
creating a $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund.
To win a share of the money, states had to
make progress in meeting four goals: adopting
standards for student success, using
technology to track students’ work, rewarding
creative teachers, and
turning around struggling
schools.
Education: Federal Government
• The federal government’s increasing role in
education has caused strong disagreement.
Some critics claim that the federal
government is going beyond its constitutional
limits.
Alternatives to Public Schools
Private schools use private funding to
provide education to those students
who are accepted into their programs.
Home schooled children learn the state
curriculum at home with the help of a parent.
Charter schools receive state funding. However,
they focus on alternative forms of education
and often do not have to meet many of the
state regulations, or rules, for public schools.