Local Government in Texas Chapter 13. Local Government in Texas.

Local Governmentin Texas

Chapter 13

Local Government in Texas

Local Government in Texas

• Local officials should be easily accountable to the public.

• Conditioned upon public and media attention– More time cost to follow local news and

politics

• Easier to keep informed of higher offices– High volume of national media coverage in

virtually all outlets, including local news

County Government in Texas

• Texas has more than 4,835 local governments.– That is *a lot* of government for a state so much

associated with limited and small government.

• 254 county units• 1,209 municipal (cities) units• 1,082 school districts• 2,291 special districts

– Ex.: water, utility, community college, hospital

• More authority in sparsely populated areas• Administer state laws (do little legislation)• Historical origins, began as “municipalities”

– 1835, 23 municipalities– 1836, Republic of Texas changes name to

“counties”– 1921, there were 254 counties (same as today)


• County commissioners court– Main governing unit of the county– Sets budget and county tax rate

•County may not legislate much, but tax rates certainly impact local residents, business, and industry

• Composition– One county judge– Four county commissioners


Countywide and Precinct-Level Elected Officials


• County judge– Elected countywide– Four-year terms, no limits– In rural counties, may also serve as actual

judge– Most cases is administrator for the county

• County commissioners– Elected by geographic districts

•Each one-quarter of county– Four-year terms, no limits

The County CommissionersCourt

Primary Functions of County Government

• County government responsibilities– Maintain roads, bridges, and county jails– Cover some health care costs for indigent– Large counties maintain public facilities

•Libraries, parks, or public hospitals

• Assist with natural disaster logistics and costs

• Administer all elections in the county– No matter the offices on the ballot, counties are

responsible for election administration


• County government responsibilities, staff, and resources vary dramatically– Reflect population and land size differences

• Compare– Loving County: pop. 94; size 681 sq. mi.– Harris County: pop. 4.2 million; size 1778 sq. mi.

• Medium and small counties vulnerable– Natural disasters, costly trials can exhaust

budget


Functions of CountyGovernment

• Five main functions of county government1. Road and bridge construction and

maintenance 2. Law enforcement3. Dispute resolution4. Record keeping5. Social services

• Law enforcement– Sheriff: chief county law enforcement officer– Provide deputies for courthouses– Maintain county jails

• County and district courts– Attorneys for county and district

•DAs typically handle the more serious crimes.•County prosecutors take less serious cases.•In smaller counties, duties are not split in that

fashion.


• County clerks keep records.– Vital stats for county (births, deaths,

marriages)– Issue licenses (driving, marriage)– Maintain court records– Record property transactions

• Dispute resolution– Justice of the peace, county and district

courts resolve civil disputes


• Counties may provide a range of services.– Some of them are a matter of administering

federal- and state-funded programs

• Nutrition and housing assistance• Health care (including mental health)• Public health monitoring and records• Public parks• Fire and sanitation


City Government in Texas

• 1,209 municipalities in Texas• Municipalities are state creations.

– The state can create, merge, or disband them.

• Towns with >5,000 residents may apply for “home-rule” status.– City charter recognized by the state

• Alternatively, towns may follow the basic rules set out by the state for all municipalities.

Municipal Governments inTexas, 2010

The Largest Home-Rule Cities, 2010

Forms of City Government inTexas

• Mayor-council form of city government– City has a mayor and city council– Mayor is elected from city at-large– Council either at-large or single-member

districts– Council acts as city legislature

• Strong v. weak mayor differences– Personnel: can hire and fire department heads– Budget authority– Degree of power shared with city manager

• Council-manager government– Most common in Texas

•250 of 291 home-rule cities in the state– City council may select a mayor, or mayor

elected– Council hires a city manager to run the city– Manager does not campaign or run for office

•Applies for and holds executive public position much like public school superintendents, who are hired by local school boards

Forms of City Government inTexas

A Tale of Three Cities

A Tale of Three Cities

School Districts

• School board of trustees– Adopts a budget and sets the tax rate– Hires superintendent

•Most districts, superintendent hires district personnel

•Smallest districts, board may take on those duties

– Selects textbooks– Sets school calendar

Special Districts

• Local government that performs a single service within a limited geographical area

Nonschool Districts

• Municipal utility districts (MUDs)– Provide services to certain areas outside of

cities

• Flood control districts• Community college districts• Hospital districts• Water districts

Councils of Government

• Councils of governments (COGs)– Regional planning boards that try to

coordinate efforts of local governments– Comprised mostly of elected officials

•May include other community members– Deal with issues relevant to several local

governments•Make sense in large areas where there are

many layers of local government and coordination may be useful

Public Opinion Poll

Should Texas merge small counties that have

very small populations?

a) Yes, too many small governments is not useful and costly to the state.

b) No, the state should leave them as they are.

What is the best form of city government?

a) Council-Manager

b) Council-Mayor

Public Opinion Poll

Which do you think is the most important form of

local government in Texas?

a) Counties

b) Citiesc) Public school districts

Public Opinion Poll

Should city managers and public school district

superintendents be elected?

a) Yes, they have executive duties and the voters should decide who is best for the job.

b) No, they should focus their time and attention on city and school responsibilities, not raising money to run for office.

Public Opinion Poll

Should very large cities be split into several

smaller ones?

a) Yes, very large cities are too difficult to manage and smaller ones work better.

b) No, the state should let cities make such choices.

Public Opinion Poll

Local Government in Texas Chapter 13. Local Government in Texas.

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