Texas Government 2306 Unit 11 Local Government
Dec 28, 2015
The Challenges of Local Government
The Challenges of Local Government
Multiple numbers and kinds of local government make it difficult for even concerned citizens to find a connection
County governments City governments (municipalities)Special districts– School districts– Non-school districts
Townships (not in Texas)
Counties - 1Counties - 1
A general-purpose government and an administrative arm (sub-unit) of the state:
Less flexible than a municipality in organization and function—all counties must have same structure regardless of population and/or needs
Do not have home rule option;Cannot pass ordinances unless authorized by the state;
Two Counties Functions
Two Counties Functions
1. Carry out state government functions An administrative subunit of state government Brings state government closer to the people
2. Provide services, especially for those living outside the city limits
Counties – Functions -1Counties – Functions -1Carry out state government functions:
Running county, state, and national elections, but not local ones;
Houses state district courts;Securing rights-of-way for highways;Law enforcementRegistering births, deaths, and marriagesRecording land titles and deeds; Registering motor vehicles;Collecting some state taxes & fees;Other powers authorized by state law
Counties – Functions - 2Counties – Functions - 2
Provide services, especially for those living outside city limits:
Law enforcementMaintaining roads, streets, & bridges
Structure & Organization of CountiesStructure & Organization of Counties
Primary officials of the county include:The commissioner’s court;The county judge;The sheriff;Constables;Tax assessor-collectorThe county treasurer;The county auditor;The county clerk;The district clerk;County attorneys/district attorneys
Revenue Sources for Counties
Revenue Sources for Counties
Property tax Service charges Fines Intergovernmental transfers ($ from federal
government)
County Government Expenditures
County Government Expenditures
Law enforcement & county jail Judicial—county & justice of the peace courts Roads & bridge maintenance and construction In rural counties (or without large cities):
LibraryAirportParks & recreation
Counties: Issues and Problems
Counties: Issues and Problems
Constitutional Rigidity—same structure for all counties
Lack of much ordinance-making powerLong Ballot A Spoils SystemPublic Disinterest No single executive/person in charge
Types of MunicipalitiesTypes of Municipalities General-law cities – an incorporated community with a
population of 5,000 or less and limited in the subject matter upon which it may legislate
Home-rule cities – a city with 5,000 or more people which can adopt its own charter and structure:
If population drops below 5,000 it may retain the designation;Voters may impose their will directly through an initiative, referendum, or recallWrite their own city charter & structure of city governmentGreater taxation powerGreater annexation power (can annex land without property owner’s consent)Greater freedom to govern city (without state government interference)
Types of City GovernmentTypes of City Government
Strong Mayor-Council type
Weak Mayor-Council type
Commission type
Council-Manager type
Forms of Local Government- IForms of Local Government- I Strong Mayor-Council form
has a mayor elected at-large and is both chief executive and legislative leader
Makes appointments of major department heads Prepares a budgetMay have veto power over city council decisionsCity planning is primarily the responsibility of mayorAdvantage: City has strong leadership Cities 250,000+ use this type of city government
Forms of Local Government- 2Forms of Local Government- 2
Weak-Mayor-Council formMayor lacks veto power & can only vote to break a tie
vote on council
Council often primarily responsible for city budget & planning
Council either has primarily responsibility of appointments or shares it with the mayor
– Advantage: cheaper– Disadvantage: Lacks unified lines of authority since the mayor
and council share administrative authority
Used primarily by cities under 5,000 in population
Forms of Local Government-3Forms of Local Government-3
Commission form: Voters elect one set of officials who serve on the city commission (city council)Act as both executives and legislators:Each is a department head & runs a city departmentMayor title rotates—each year a different commissioner is “mayor”
– Advantage: accountability—voters know who is responsible for every city service or program
– Disadvantage: commissioners often become more concerned about dept. than city problems (A disappearing form of city government)
Forms of Local Government-4Forms of Local Government-4
Council-Manager formhas an elected city council & city mayorMayor is weak, ceremonial figure, presides over council
meetings and can cast tie-breaking voteCity manager is hired by the council-no fixed termThe city manager is responsible for the day to day
operations—city planning, prepares & submits city budget, appoints department heads
The council makes policy decisionsUsed by medium-size cities
Advantage: city run by trained professional, doesn’t worry about re-election
Disadvantage: “undemocratic”—manager not elected
Municipal Election Systems
Municipal Election Systems
At-large elections - citywide elections of two forms:a pure at-large system where voters elect all the members of
the city council with the winners being those with the most votes;
An at-large place system, candidates run for a particular seat on the council
Key point: city council candidates run city-wide
Single-member districts - a system with members elected from individual districts by voters who live in each district
City Elections: 3 Progressive Reforms
City Elections: 3 Progressive Reforms
1. Off-Year ElectionsIn November of odd-numbered yearsIn May of even-numbered years
2. Non-Partisan Elections
3. At-large ElectionsReasons why medium & large cities have abandoned thisKey: who does at-large elections hurt?Change has been voluntary and/or court-ordered
Cities: Sources of Revenue
Cities: Sources of Revenue
Sales taxes – a 1% statewide sales tax; experiences considerable ups and downs
Property taxes where the revenue is based on a percent of assessed value of real property.
User fees, or charging citizens for services received Public debt, usually in the form of bonds issues that
must be approved by voters Rollback election which limits an increase in the
property tax rate to no more than 8%
Cities: SpendingCities: Spending
Public SafetyLaw enforcementFire protection
Public Works (road, street, & bridge maintenance & construction)
Water & Sewage Parks & Recreation
Property Taxes Paid– Ector County-By Home
Value-2006
Property Taxes Paid– Ector County-By Home
Value-2006
OC--Changing DemographicsOC--Changing Demographics
Hispanics: 48.5% Anglos: 45.8% Blacks: 3.9% Asians: .8% American Indian .7%
Women: 63.3% Men: 36.4%
ECISD --Changing Demographics
ECISD --Changing Demographics
HISPANIC 58% ANGLO 35.3% BLACK 5.3%
ASIAN 1.4%
ECTOR COUNTY vs. TEXAS COMPARISON-1ECTOR COUNTY vs. TEXAS COMPARISON-1 Ector
County Texas
CRIME Violent Crimes 8.54/per 1,000 5.44/per 1,000 Intoxicated Drivers Rate 21.02/per 1,000 4.13/per 1,000 Drug-related Arrests 9.86/per 1,000 5.0/per 1,000 Family Violence 19.66/per 1,000 8.82/per 1,000 EDUCATION Functionally Illiterate Adults 32% 24% School Dropout Rate 10.6% 4.5% $ Spent/Student $6,336 $7,708 College Degree 12% 23.2% % Graduating H.S.-4 yrs. 74.6% 84.2% TAKS Passing 59.0% 68.0%
ECTOR COUNTY vs. TEXAS COMPARISON-2
ECTOR COUNTY vs. TEXAS COMPARISON-2
Ector County TEXAS
HEALTH Lung Cancer Deaths 61.6/per 100,000 54.2/per 100,000 Deaths: Heart 273.3/per 100,000 259/per 100,000 Chronic Lower Respiratory Deaths 93.1/per 100,000 46.7/per 100,000 % W/O Health Insurance 28.2% 26.3% Infant Mortality 9.8% 6.1% Rate of Teen Mothers 22.3% 14.7% ECONOMIC Per Capita Income $22,342 $29,039 Poverty Rate 18.7% 14.6% Unemployment Rate 6.0% 6.8% POLITICAL % Registered Voters Voting 52.4% 56.6%
Texas Cities by Population
City Ranking Population Change
Texas Cities by Population
City Ranking Population Change
Special DistrictsThe Hidden
Governments
Special DistrictsThe Hidden
Governments Special districts are units of local government that
provide a single or closely related services that are not provided by general-purpose county or municipal governments:the most numerous of all local governments in Texas.2/3rds in Texas provide a single serviceProvide an alternative revenue sourceCreated by voters in the area to be the special district &
granted limited taxation powers
Special DistrictsIssues and Trends
Special DistrictsIssues and Trends
Multiple Governments – while special districts may be dissolved the trend has been toward an increase in them
Reasons for growth of special districtsCounties & cities overwhelmed alreadySome problems overlap into several cities/counties
Reasons for concern over the rise of special districts:the actions of officials and employees are less visible than if the services were provided by a county or city;special district elections held at times or places other than general elections have very low voter turnout
Who Collects Your Property Taxes--Odessa
Residents--2006
Who Collects Your Property Taxes--Odessa
Residents--2006
2006-Who Collects Your Property Taxes-
Residents outside Odessa
2006-Who Collects Your Property Taxes-
Residents outside Odessa
Councils of Governments (COGs)Councils of Governments (COGs)
Councils of government (COGs) - an attempt by the state to encourage coordination of local government activities on a regional basis
COGs provides several significant services including regional planning, technical services, and help in applying for grants.
By bringing local officials together, COGs provide a base for the exchange of ideas and knowledge
URBAN CRISIS URBAN CRISIS 1. URBANIZATION - 1860-1945 2. SUBURBANIZATION - 1945 +
Better quality of life– Low taxes– New schools– Open spaces– Less crime & congestion
FHAInterstatesBrown decision
3. “WHITE FLIGHT” – Middle & Upper Classes– Business Outflow– Loss of tax base = less tax revenue
4. POOR WHITES & MINORITY INFLOW –
– Need & demand for more social services
Problems of CitiesProblems of Cities 1. LACK OF MONEY 2. LOSS OF INDUSTRY/JOBS 3. SLUMS 4. LACK OF ADEQUATE HOUSING 5. INCREASING CRIME 6. CONGESTION - TRANSPORTATION 7. POLLUTION - WATER, AIR 8. OLD SCHOOLS- $ MONEY 9. RACIAL PROBLEMS 10. POVERTY - UNEMPLOYMENT 11. MULTIPLICITY (TOO MANY) OF GOVERNMENTS