{"id":369,"date":"2017-08-08T16:56:01","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T16:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/openstax-americangovernment\/chapter\/county-and-city-government\/"},"modified":"2019-06-12T20:14:07","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T20:14:07","slug":"county-and-city-government","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/chapter\/county-and-city-government\/","title":{"raw":"County and City Government","rendered":"County and City Government"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755423732\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul id=\"fs-id1163755451372\">\r\n \t<li>Identify the differences between county and municipal governments in terms of their responsibilities and funding sources<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe the two primary types of municipal government and the three basic types of county government<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757465679\">County and city governments make up an important component of the overall structure of the government. Not only do they affect citizens directly; it is also easier for citizens to interact with local government officials because their offices and the community\u2019s school board or city council meetings are often close by. Despite this fact, voter turnout in local elections tends to be lower than in state and national elections. Municipal and county governments differ in structure and purpose in several ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755383746\" class=\"bc-section section\">\r\n<h2>COUNTY GOVERNMENT<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757358972\">County governments serve a larger geographical area than cities and towns, but a smaller area than states. They are created by the state government and typically operate under provisions set out in the state constitution. As such, they are essentially administrative units of the state. Census estimates from 2012 indicate that there are just over three thousand counties in the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nBrian Lavin. 30 August 2012. \u201cCensus Bureau Reports There are 89,004 Local Governments in the United States (CB12-161),\u201d https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/archives\/governments\/cb12-161.html.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nCounty systems usually take one of three basic forms: the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system.\r\n\r\nThe most common form of <strong><span class=\"no-emphasis\">county government<\/span><\/strong> is the <strong>commission system<\/strong>. Under this structure, an elected commission, which generally consists of a small number of commissioners, serves as the governing body within the county, performing all legislative and executive functions. These include adopting a budget, passing county resolutions, and hiring and firing county officials.\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nFrank Coppa. 2000. <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755410166\">Under the <strong>council-administrator system<\/strong>, the voters elect council members to serve for a specified period of time, and the council in turn appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the government. The administrator serves at the directive of the council and can be terminated by the council. The goal of this arrangement is to divide administrative and policymaking responsibilities between the elected council and the appointed administrator.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nCoppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nUnder a <strong>council-elected executive system<\/strong>, the voters elect both the members of the council and the executive. The executive performs functions similar to those of the state governor. For instance, he or she can veto the actions of the council, draft a budget, and provide suggestions regarding public policy.\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nCoppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757253526\">Although the tasks they perform can vary from state to state, most counties have a courthouse that houses county officials, such as the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer. These officials carry out a variety of important functions and oversee the responsibilities of running a county government. For instance, the county coroner investigates the cause of death when suspicious circumstances are present. The county clerk oversees the registration of voters and also certifies election results for the county. In addition, this officeholder typically keeps the official birth, death, and marriage records. The county treasurer oversees the collection and distribution of funds within the county, while the county assessor conducts property tax evaluations and informs individual citizens or business owners of their right to contest the appraised value of their property. Finally, a county engineer will oversee the maintenance and construction of county infrastructure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nCoppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn short, counties help to maintain roads and bridges, courthouses and jails, parks and pools, and public libraries, hospitals, and clinics.\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.naco.org\/counties (March 14, 2016).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">To provide these services, county governments typically rely on property tax revenue, a portion of sales tax receipts, and funds from intergovernmental transfers by way of federal or state grants.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bc-section section\">\r\n<h2>CITY GOVERNMENT<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755042124\">Municipal governments oversee the operation and functions of cities and towns. Census estimates for 2012 show just over 19,500 municipal governments and nearly 16,500 township governments in the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nLavin, \u201cCensus Bureau Reports There are 89,004 Local Governments in the United States (CB12-161).\u201d\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">The vast majority of <\/span><strong><span class=\"no-emphasis\" style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">municipal government<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\"><strong>s<\/strong> operate on one of two governing models: a mayor-council system or a council-manager system.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757311292\">Under the <strong>mayor-council system<\/strong> voters elect both a mayor and members of the city council. The city council performs legislative functions and the mayor the executive functions. Under this system, the mayor may be given a great deal of authority or only limited powers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n\u201cForms of Municipal Government,\u201d http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/build-skills-and-networks\/resources\/cities-101\/city-structures\/forms-of-municipal-government (March 14, 2016).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nUnder a strong mayor system, the mayor will be able to veto the actions of the council, appoint and fire the heads of city departments, and produce a budget. Under a weak mayor system, the mayor has little authority compared to the council and acts in a ceremonial capacity as a spokesperson for the city.\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n\u201cMayoral Powers,\u201d http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/build-skills-and-networks\/resources\/cities-101\/city-officials\/mayoral-powers (March 14, 2016).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757362841\">In a <strong>council-manager system<\/strong> of government, either the members of the city council are elected by voters along with a mayor who presides over the council, or the voters elect members of the city council and the mayor is chosen from among them. In either case, the city council will then appoint a city manager to carry out the administrative functions of the municipal government. This frees the city council to address political functions such as setting policy and formulating the budget.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"note reference\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n\u201cForms of Municipal Government.\u201d\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nMunicipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They must maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums (Figure). In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote the city\u2019s economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection. Municipal governments typically rely on property tax revenue, user fees from trash collection and the provision of water and sewer services, a portion of sales tax receipts, and taxes on business.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"975\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2292\/2017\/08\/08165559\/OSC_AmGov_14_05_KansasCity.jpg\" alt=\"An image of the inside of a stadium. The stands are filled with people.\" width=\"975\" height=\"265\" \/> <strong>Figure 1.\u00a0<\/strong>The Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, is home to various sporting events. The stadium first opened for business in 2011, and taxpayers financed $146 million of the total cost to build the stadium, an office park, and a youth soccer complex.\u00a0(credit: Wesley Fryer)[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"OSC_AmGov_14_05_KansasCity\" class=\"bc-figure figure\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nMark Alesia, \u201cKansas City has Stadium Success Story\u2014in Major League Soccer,\u201d Indy Star, 18 March 2015. http:\/\/www.indystar.com\/story\/news\/2015\/03\/17\/kansas-city-stadium-success-story-major-league-soccer\/24928853\/.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bc-section section\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755164168\" class=\"note american government link-to-learning\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nThe International City\/County Management Association (ICMA) provides networking opportunities, professional development, and statistical data in order to support local government leaders and other individuals throughout the world. Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstaxcollege.org\/l\/29ICMAprior\">ICMA Priorities<\/a> page to learn what makes a better leader and how you might improve your local community.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757193470\" class=\"summary\">\r\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\r\nCounty governments can adopt the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system of government to carry out their functions, which usually include the work of the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer. Municipal governments can use the mayor-council system or the council-manager system and manage services such as the provision of clean water, park maintenance, and local law enforcement. Cities and counties both rely on tax revenues, especially property taxes, to fund their provision of services.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"review-questions\">\r\n<div class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div class=\"problem\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div class=\"problem\">\r\n\r\nUnder the mayor-council system, the ________.\r\n<ol id=\"fs-id1163757227739\">\r\n \t<li>legislative and executive responsibilities are separated<\/li>\r\n \t<li>political and administrative functions are separated<\/li>\r\n \t<li>mayor chairs the city council<\/li>\r\n \t<li>city council selects the mayor<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755164369\" class=\"solution\">[reveal-answer q=\"465882\"]Show Solution[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"465882\"]1[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755031522\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757663268\" class=\"problem\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755419946\">Which of the following is <em>not<\/em> one of the three forms of county government?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol id=\"fs-id1163757181624\">\r\n \t<li>the commission system<\/li>\r\n \t<li>the council-elected executive system<\/li>\r\n \t<li>the mayor-council system<\/li>\r\n \t<li>the council-administrator system<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div class=\"problem\">\r\n\r\nWhat are the primary responsibilities of municipal governments?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755005481\" class=\"solution\">\r\n\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"139711\"]Show Solution[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"139711\"]\r\n\r\nMunicipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums. In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection.[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163754999607\" class=\"critical-thinking\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163752803784\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755409244\" class=\"problem\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163752803784\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755409244\" class=\"problem\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757217403\">What are the advantages and disadvantages of having so many levels of subnational governments in the United States? Explain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755113320\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755069416\" class=\"problem\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nIn which level of substate government would you be most likely to get involved? Why?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755472346\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757522869\" class=\"problem\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757480997\">Is it preferable for representatives in the state legislature to behave as trustees or as delegates? Why?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755382493\" class=\"exercise\">\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757217786\" class=\"problem\">\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\nDo term limits seem to have more advantages or disadvantages? Defend your answer.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757370022\" class=\"suggested-reading\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757216020\">Council of State Governments. 2014. <em>The Book of the States<\/em>. Lexington, KY: The Council of State Governments.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757692345\">Elazar, Daniel. 1972. <em>American Federalism: A View from the States<\/em>, 2nd ed. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757355473\">Governing: The State and Localities (http:\/\/www.governing.com\/).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757286982\">National Association of Counties (http:\/\/www.naco.org\/).<\/p>\r\nNational Conference of State Legislatures (http:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/).\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755032225\">National Governors Association (http:\/\/www.nga.org\/cms\/home.html).<\/p>\r\nNational League of Cities (http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/).\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755328045\">Rosenthal, Alan. 2013. <em>The Best Job in Politics; Exploring How Governors Succeed as Policy Leaders<\/em>. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757218502\">\u2014\u2014\u2014. 2004. <em>Heavy Lifting: The Job of State Legislatures<\/em>. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757356739\">Wright, Ralph. 2005. <em>Inside the Statehouse: Lessons from the Speaker<\/em>. Washington, DC: CQ Press.<\/p>\r\nUnited States Census Bureau, \u201cQuick Facts: United States\u201d (http:\/\/quickfacts.census.gov\/qfd\/index.html).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<h2>Glossary<\/h2>\r\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757448860\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>commission system<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd id=\"fs-id1163757191342\">an elected commission that serves as the governing body within a given county<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757272717\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>council-administrator system<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd id=\"fs-id1163757369523\">an elected council that appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the county government<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>council-elected executive system<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>a county government in which voters elect both the members of the council and the executive<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757448444\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>council-manager system<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd id=\"fs-id1163757468132\">a structure of government in which elected members of the city council appoint a city manager to carry out administrative functions<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163752803727\" class=\"definition\">\r\n \t<dt>mayor-council system<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd id=\"fs-id1163757358518\">a structure of government in which both city council members and the mayor are elected by voters<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755423732\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"fs-id1163755451372\">\n<li>Identify the differences between county and municipal governments in terms of their responsibilities and funding sources<\/li>\n<li>Describe the two primary types of municipal government and the three basic types of county government<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757465679\">County and city governments make up an important component of the overall structure of the government. Not only do they affect citizens directly; it is also easier for citizens to interact with local government officials because their offices and the community\u2019s school board or city council meetings are often close by. Despite this fact, voter turnout in local elections tends to be lower than in state and national elections. Municipal and county governments differ in structure and purpose in several ways.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755383746\" class=\"bc-section section\">\n<h2>COUNTY GOVERNMENT<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757358972\">County governments serve a larger geographical area than cities and towns, but a smaller area than states. They are created by the state government and typically operate under provisions set out in the state constitution. As such, they are essentially administrative units of the state. Census estimates from 2012 indicate that there are just over three thousand counties in the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Brian Lavin. 30 August 2012. \u201cCensus Bureau Reports There are 89,004 Local Governments in the United States (CB12-161),\u201d https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/archives\/governments\/cb12-161.html.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>County systems usually take one of three basic forms: the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system.<\/p>\n<p>The most common form of <strong><span class=\"no-emphasis\">county government<\/span><\/strong> is the <strong>commission system<\/strong>. Under this structure, an elected commission, which generally consists of a small number of commissioners, serves as the governing body within the county, performing all legislative and executive functions. These include adopting a budget, passing county resolutions, and hiring and firing county officials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Frank Coppa. 2000. <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755410166\">Under the <strong>council-administrator system<\/strong>, the voters elect council members to serve for a specified period of time, and the council in turn appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the government. The administrator serves at the directive of the council and can be terminated by the council. The goal of this arrangement is to divide administrative and policymaking responsibilities between the elected council and the appointed administrator.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Coppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Under a <strong>council-elected executive system<\/strong>, the voters elect both the members of the council and the executive. The executive performs functions similar to those of the state governor. For instance, he or she can veto the actions of the council, draft a budget, and provide suggestions regarding public policy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Coppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757253526\">Although the tasks they perform can vary from state to state, most counties have a courthouse that houses county officials, such as the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer. These officials carry out a variety of important functions and oversee the responsibilities of running a county government. For instance, the county coroner investigates the cause of death when suspicious circumstances are present. The county clerk oversees the registration of voters and also certifies election results for the county. In addition, this officeholder typically keeps the official birth, death, and marriage records. The county treasurer oversees the collection and distribution of funds within the county, while the county assessor conducts property tax evaluations and informs individual citizens or business owners of their right to contest the appraised value of their property. Finally, a county engineer will oversee the maintenance and construction of county infrastructure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Coppa, <em>County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In short, counties help to maintain roads and bridges, courthouses and jails, parks and pools, and public libraries, hospitals, and clinics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>http:\/\/www.naco.org\/counties (March 14, 2016).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">To provide these services, county governments typically rely on property tax revenue, a portion of sales tax receipts, and funds from intergovernmental transfers by way of federal or state grants.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bc-section section\">\n<h2>CITY GOVERNMENT<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755042124\">Municipal governments oversee the operation and functions of cities and towns. Census estimates for 2012 show just over 19,500 municipal governments and nearly 16,500 township governments in the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Lavin, \u201cCensus Bureau Reports There are 89,004 Local Governments in the United States (CB12-161).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">The vast majority of <\/span><strong><span class=\"no-emphasis\" style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">municipal government<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\"><strong>s<\/strong> operate on one of two governing models: a mayor-council system or a council-manager system.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757311292\">Under the <strong>mayor-council system<\/strong> voters elect both a mayor and members of the city council. The city council performs legislative functions and the mayor the executive functions. Under this system, the mayor may be given a great deal of authority or only limited powers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u201cForms of Municipal Government,\u201d http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/build-skills-and-networks\/resources\/cities-101\/city-structures\/forms-of-municipal-government (March 14, 2016).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Under a strong mayor system, the mayor will be able to veto the actions of the council, appoint and fire the heads of city departments, and produce a budget. Under a weak mayor system, the mayor has little authority compared to the council and acts in a ceremonial capacity as a spokesperson for the city.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u201cMayoral Powers,\u201d http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/build-skills-and-networks\/resources\/cities-101\/city-officials\/mayoral-powers (March 14, 2016).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757362841\">In a <strong>council-manager system<\/strong> of government, either the members of the city council are elected by voters along with a mayor who presides over the council, or the voters elect members of the city council and the mayor is chosen from among them. In either case, the city council will then appoint a city manager to carry out the administrative functions of the municipal government. This frees the city council to address political functions such as setting policy and formulating the budget.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note reference\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u201cForms of Municipal Government.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Municipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They must maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums (Figure). In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote the city\u2019s economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection. Municipal governments typically rely on property tax revenue, user fees from trash collection and the provision of water and sewer services, a portion of sales tax receipts, and taxes on business.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 985px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2292\/2017\/08\/08165559\/OSC_AmGov_14_05_KansasCity.jpg\" alt=\"An image of the inside of a stadium. The stands are filled with people.\" width=\"975\" height=\"265\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1.\u00a0<\/strong>The Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, is home to various sporting events. The stadium first opened for business in 2011, and taxpayers financed $146 million of the total cost to build the stadium, an office park, and a youth soccer complex.\u00a0(credit: Wesley Fryer)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"OSC_AmGov_14_05_KansasCity\" class=\"bc-figure figure\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Mark Alesia, \u201cKansas City has Stadium Success Story\u2014in Major League Soccer,\u201d Indy Star, 18 March 2015. http:\/\/www.indystar.com\/story\/news\/2015\/03\/17\/kansas-city-stadium-success-story-major-league-soccer\/24928853\/.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bc-section section\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755164168\" class=\"note american government link-to-learning\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>The International City\/County Management Association (ICMA) provides networking opportunities, professional development, and statistical data in order to support local government leaders and other individuals throughout the world. Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstaxcollege.org\/l\/29ICMAprior\">ICMA Priorities<\/a> page to learn what makes a better leader and how you might improve your local community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757193470\" class=\"summary\">\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>County governments can adopt the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system of government to carry out their functions, which usually include the work of the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer. Municipal governments can use the mayor-council system or the council-manager system and manage services such as the provision of clean water, park maintenance, and local law enforcement. Cities and counties both rely on tax revenues, especially property taxes, to fund their provision of services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-questions\">\n<div class=\"exercise\">\n<div class=\"problem\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"exercise\">\n<div class=\"problem\">\n<p>Under the mayor-council system, the ________.<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fs-id1163757227739\">\n<li>legislative and executive responsibilities are separated<\/li>\n<li>political and administrative functions are separated<\/li>\n<li>mayor chairs the city council<\/li>\n<li>city council selects the mayor<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755164369\" class=\"solution\">\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><span class=\"show-answer collapsed\" style=\"cursor: pointer\" data-target=\"q465882\">Show Solution<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"q465882\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">1<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755031522\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757663268\" class=\"problem\">\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755419946\">Which of the following is <em>not<\/em> one of the three forms of county government?<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fs-id1163757181624\">\n<li>the commission system<\/li>\n<li>the council-elected executive system<\/li>\n<li>the mayor-council system<\/li>\n<li>the council-administrator system<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"exercise\">\n<div class=\"problem\">\n<p>What are the primary responsibilities of municipal governments?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755005481\" class=\"solution\">\n<div class=\"qa-wrapper\" style=\"display: block\"><span class=\"show-answer collapsed\" style=\"cursor: pointer\" data-target=\"q139711\">Show Solution<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"q139711\" class=\"hidden-answer\" style=\"display: none\">\n<p>Municipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums. In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163754999607\" class=\"critical-thinking\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163752803784\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755409244\" class=\"problem\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163752803784\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755409244\" class=\"problem\">\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757217403\">What are the advantages and disadvantages of having so many levels of subnational governments in the United States? Explain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755113320\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755069416\" class=\"problem\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>In which level of substate government would you be most likely to get involved? Why?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755472346\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757522869\" class=\"problem\">\n<hr \/>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757480997\">Is it preferable for representatives in the state legislature to behave as trustees or as delegates? Why?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163755382493\" class=\"exercise\">\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757217786\" class=\"problem\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Do term limits seem to have more advantages or disadvantages? Defend your answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-id1163757370022\" class=\"suggested-reading\">\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757216020\">Council of State Governments. 2014. <em>The Book of the States<\/em>. Lexington, KY: The Council of State Governments.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757692345\">Elazar, Daniel. 1972. <em>American Federalism: A View from the States<\/em>, 2nd ed. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757355473\">Governing: The State and Localities (http:\/\/www.governing.com\/).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757286982\">National Association of Counties (http:\/\/www.naco.org\/).<\/p>\n<p>National Conference of State Legislatures (http:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755032225\">National Governors Association (http:\/\/www.nga.org\/cms\/home.html).<\/p>\n<p>National League of Cities (http:\/\/www.nlc.org\/).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163755328045\">Rosenthal, Alan. 2013. <em>The Best Job in Politics; Exploring How Governors Succeed as Policy Leaders<\/em>. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757218502\">\u2014\u2014\u2014. 2004. <em>Heavy Lifting: The Job of State Legislatures<\/em>. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-id1163757356739\">Wright, Ralph. 2005. <em>Inside the Statehouse: Lessons from the Speaker<\/em>. Washington, DC: CQ Press.<\/p>\n<p>United States Census Bureau, \u201cQuick Facts: United States\u201d (http:\/\/quickfacts.census.gov\/qfd\/index.html).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<h2>Glossary<\/h2>\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757448860\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>commission system<\/dt>\n<dd id=\"fs-id1163757191342\">an elected commission that serves as the governing body within a given county<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757272717\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>council-administrator system<\/dt>\n<dd id=\"fs-id1163757369523\">an elected council that appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the county government<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class=\"definition\">\n<dt>council-elected executive system<\/dt>\n<dd>a county government in which voters elect both the members of the council and the executive<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163757448444\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>council-manager system<\/dt>\n<dd id=\"fs-id1163757468132\">a structure of government in which elected members of the city council appoint a city manager to carry out administrative functions<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl id=\"fs-id1163752803727\" class=\"definition\">\n<dt>mayor-council system<\/dt>\n<dd id=\"fs-id1163757358518\">a structure of government in which both city council members and the mayor are elected by voters<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-369\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>OpenStax American Government. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: OpenStax CNX. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/5bcc0e59-7345-421d-8507-a1e4608685e8@18.14\">http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/5bcc0e59-7345-421d-8507-a1e4608685e8@18.14<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/5bcc0e59-7345-421d-8507-a1e4608685e8@18.14<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":17533,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"OpenStax American Government\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"OpenStax CNX\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/5bcc0e59-7345-421d-8507-a1e4608685e8@18.14\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/5bcc0e59-7345-421d-8507-a1e4608685e8@18.14\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":"cc-by"},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[57],"license":[50],"class_list":["post-369","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-cnxamgov","license-cc-by"],"part":345,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17533"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1107,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/369\/revisions\/1107"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/345"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/369\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=369"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=369"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osamgovernment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}