Local Governments
Download
Report
Transcript Local Governments
Local governments are closest to the people
They affect you more than any level of government
They serve you in your home, school streetlights
stop sign, pipes that carry your drinking water
They are:
workers who build and maintain roads
Police
sanitation crews
Counties
Cities
Special districts
Everyone living in Georgia lives in a County
Counties are created by the
State Legislature
In Georgia’s first constitution there were 8
counties
Most counties are headed by elected:
county commission - elected by the county
voters for 4 years, staggered terms.
The commission has a combination of legislative
and executive power
More than half of Georgia counties have a county
administrator or county manager who carries
out day to day work of the county government
Chatham County
The 3rd county formed in Georgia
Incorporated: February 5, 1777
Population: 232,048
Total Area: 440.4 Square miles
County commissions enact laws regarding local
property and affairs
These laws are called county ordinances -laws that
affect local affairs:
recreation program
traffic regulations
provide trial courts
State health and welfare programs
Voter registration
State elections
Build and repair roads and bridges
Record property ownership
Births
Deaths
Marriages
Registering automobiles/state automobile tags
Fire protection
Sewer system
Public transportation
Parks
Libraries
Police departments
Recreation facilities
Public health facilities
A city is a community that has been
incorporated officially created by the state
legislature
A city with its own government is a municipality
Cities are made because people want certain
services not provided by the county
http://www.savannahga.gov/cityweb/Savannah
GaGOV.nsf/mainportal/government?opendocum
ent
A city exists as a political unit with:
At least 200 people living in the area
Be at least 3 miles from the boundary of an
existing city
Be 50% developed and divided into tracts
designated for residential, commercial,
industrial, governmental, or institutional
purposes
Consolidated city
City charters allow the city to:
Provide police protection
Maintain streets and sidewalks
control traffic
Provide for water and sewage services
Some cities were formed before counties were
made:
Savannah
Augusta
Most cities are small
There were 527 cities in the 2000 census
Georgia has 246 cities that have fewer than
1,000 people
62 cities have populations larger than 10,000
people
City council: governing body of a city also known
as a city commission
Cities have an elected mayor who is the leader of
the city
Mayor –Council
government with a “Strong Mayor”
Mayor-council
government with a “Weak Mayor”
Council-Manager
Elected city council responsible for making the
laws
Mayor may be either weak or strong
Mayor –Council
government with a “Strong Mayor”
Mayor has total responsibility for day-to day
operations
Mayors hires and fires staff
Prepares the budget
mayor has Veto power
ceremonial head of government
City council decides policies but no administrative
power, limited power, may over ride veto
Atlanta
Mayor has limited powers
Mayor and city council share power
Mayor may preside over council meetings
Mayor has little veto power
Mayor appoints department head with council
approval
Mayor serves as ceremonial head
City council decides policies and makes laws
Smyrna
Mayor presides over meeting but little executive
power
Mayor serves as ceremonial head
Set up like a corporation
Citizens elect a city council
City council hires a city manager
City council decides policies and makes laws
Appointed by the city council to administer the
government and can be removed by it.
Prepares the budget
Administers daily operations
Hires and fires staff
Oversees meetings
Ceremonial duties
Most of Georgia’s cities have a
Mayor-council form of government
Are made for special purposes:
School districts
MARTA
CAT bus system
School districts
They make their own rules and regulations
They can charge a fee
What is Savannah? A Mayor Council
“strong mayor” form of government or a
Mayor Council “weak mayor” form of
government or a Council-Manager?
Find out, write it up and submit!