Local Government

STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Each state constitution provides for the establishment of local governmental entities. In all states, these local entities include counties¹ and cities, but most states also provide for other types of local government, including wards, school districts, conservation districts, townships, and transportation authorities. These special types of local government have regulatory, administrative, or taxing authority as defined in the state constitution or in state law.

There are over 500,000 elected officials in the United States. Of these, fewer than 8,500 are at the national and state level. The rest are local government officials—city council members, school board members, mayors, sheriffs, and an array of other individuals who serve in various capacities.

County government
Counties are the basic territorial division within a state and range in size from under 100 square kilometers to over 200,000 square kilometers. In 48 states, counties are also the primary governing entity below the state government (counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island do not have governmental functions).

Major functions of county governments include recordkeeping (births, deaths, land transfers, etc.), administration of elections (including voter registration), construction and maintenance of local and rural roads, zoning, building code enforcement, and law enforcement (especially in rural areas). Some counties also share responsibility with the state for providing social benefits for low-income residents, monitoring and enforcing environmental regulations and building codes, overseeing child welfare, and performing judicial functions. In some states, counties are the geographic units for public school districts, but schools usually have a separate administrative structure.

Counties are run by popularly elected officials. There is typically a board of supervisors or a county commission which sets policy and often exercises executive functions as well. Other elected county positions may include sheriff, judge, justice of the peace, medical examiner, comptroller, assessor, or prosecutor, among others. In addition to these elected officials, many counties have a professional administrator, who is hired to manage the county government's overall operations.

Municipal government

Municipalities are incorporated cities, towns, or villages within or independent of a county having their own governing and taxing authority. They range in size from small towns with fewer than 100 residents to large metropolises spanning several counties (such as New York City).

Municipal government responsibilities include public safety, maintenance of city streets, parks and recreation, wastewater treatment, trash removal, zoning and building code enforcement, fire and rescue services, animal control, public transportation, and other essential services. Larger cities may also provide assisted housing, operate public hospitals,and administer social welfare programs funded by the city, the state, or the federal government. Many cities also own or regulate public utilities such as water, electric power, natural gas, and telecommunications.

Cities and towns are governed by elected officials. These officials usually include a mayor and a city council who make decisions and set policy. The mayor, who may or may not have a seat on the council, is the head of the municipal government and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day administrative functions. Some cities have adopted the city manager form of government, where the city council hires a professional manager to run the operations of the city. A city manager is the chief administrative officer of the city and, though not elected, reports directly to the elected city council or mayor.

Special district governments

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over one-third of all governmental entities in the United States are so-called special district governments. Special district governments operate independently of other local governments and are usually established to serve a specific purpose within a specific geographic region. Examples include:

• Water and natural resource conservation;

• Fire prevention;

• Water supply;

• Emergency services;

• Transportation.

Leaders of these governmental entities may be elected or appointed. Powers of special district governments vary widely, but many have significant regulatory and taxing authority. Their activities are commonly funded by a special sales tax or property tax collected within their area of jurisdiction, or by fees charged to users of their services.

Public education

Public education through grade 12² is available at no charge to virtually every school-age resident. Each state's constitution or public laws provide for the manner by which public education is to be administered and funded. In most cases, school districts are established with a popularly elected school board or board of trustees. These boards create budgets, set policy, and hire the administrators who run the schools. School districts do not necessarily coincide with other political boundaries, though often they serve a specific city or county. In most states, public education is funded by taxes assessed on personal and business property, and state governments may provide additional funding from general state revenues or dedicated revenues from state lotteries. State governments are responsible for setting education standards and general policies within the state, but implementation is left to the local school boards.

(¹)In Louisiana, the political division which would be called a county in other states is known as a parish. In Alaska, it is known as a borough.

(²)The end of secondary school, approximately 17-18 years of age.

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