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City Governments

City Governments. To Learning Objectives. How many governments are there in the United States?. An Irony of American Democracy. The level of government MOST numerous is the level LEAST understood by Americans.

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City Governments

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  1. City Governments

  2. To Learning Objectives How many governments are there in the United States?

  3. An Irony of American Democracy The level of government MOST numerous is the level LEAST understood by Americans. The level of government MOST relevant to our everyday lives is the level LEAST understood by Americans.

  4. Where in the @#%! is Alief, TX?

  5. Area Municipal Incorporations • Houston 1836 • Bellaire 1918 • West University 1924 • Katy 1945 • Missouri City 1956 • Stafford 1956 • Sugar Land 1959 • Meadows Place 1983 • Alief N/A

  6. Q: What was their motivation? A: To avoid annexation by the City Of Houston

  7. Area Cities 2000 2010 % • Houston 1,953,631 2,099,451 7.5 • Katy 11,775 14,102 19.8 • Missouri City 52,913 67,358 27.3 • Stafford 15,681 17,693 12.8 • Sugar Land 63,328 78,817 24.5

  8. The Process of Incorporation In order to form a municipality, an area must : 1. have a population of at least 200. 2. be outside the ETJ of other municipalities unless it receives permission from the established city.

  9. City governments in Texas have fairly broad authority to provide services, enact regulations, and levy taxes.

  10. Cities are subordinate units of government, subject to the constitutions and laws of the United States and the state of Texas.

  11. Cities enact city ordinances, which are laws to regulate such matters as building codes, zoning, annexation, and traffic codes

  12. Voters must also approve a city charter, which is the basic law of a city that defines its powers, responsibilities, and organization

  13. A general-law city is limited to those structures and powers granted by state law. • General-law cities are bound by Dillon’s Rule, the legal principle that a city can exercise only those powers expressly allowed by state law.

  14. A city with 5,000 or more people may become a Home-Rule city, and can take any actions not prohibited by state or federal law. • Home-rule cities are not burdened by the limitations of Dillon’s rule.

  15. Forms of City Government • Mayor-Council Form • In the mayor-council form of city governmentvoters elect a mayor as the executive officer and a council that serves as a legislative body. • In the weak mayor-council form the mayor and council together make policy for the city. • In the strong-mayor variation, the mayor acts as both a political leader and the city’s chief administrator.

  16. Council-Manager Form • The city council/mayor appoints a professional administrator called a city manager to act as chief executive of the city. • The mayor is limited to performing ceremonial duties and presiding at council meetings.

  17. Election Systems • The adoption of at-large council elections in Texas cities reduced the political influence of ethnic and racial minorities. • The federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) provided a means for minority-rights groups to attack election systems they considered discriminatory. • In the late 1970s and early 1980s, minority-rights groups used the VRA to force cities in the state to abandon at-large election systems. • The introduction of district election systems led to city councils more ethnically and racially diverse.

  18. Shelby County v. Holder • June 25, 2013 • U.S. Supreme Court declares Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. • Means Texas’ controversial voter ID law can be implemented.

  19. Budgetary Policy • Police and fire protection, sanitation, streets, and health are the major budget items for city governments in Texas. • The most important tax source for local governments is the ad valorem property tax. • The sales tax is the other major tax source for municipal government in Texas.

  20. Annexation • The power of a city to increase its geographic size by extending its boundaries to take in adjacent unincorporated areas. • Texas cities can enhance their power to annex through their extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) .

  21. Public Policies in Texas Cities • Land-Use Regulation • Buildingand Housing Codes set minimum standards for the construction and maintenance of buildings. • Zoningis the governmental designation of tracts of land for industrial, commercial, or residential use.

  22. To Learning Objectives • Special districts carry out many functions • Water districts • School districts • Most common form of special district • Charter schools

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