Community Government pt. 2

1. Community Government pt. 2

2. Structures of County Government • All counties have elected councils or commissions (this occurs at the township level in some states) • Some also have a separately elected or appointed executive • Counties are more likely to elect council members in partisan elections, while cities are more likely to use nonpartisan

3. Forms of County Government • Council/commission may exercise both legislative and executive functions • There may also be a separately elected executive • Council-executive • Council-supervisor (term used in SC) • Council/commission may appoint a professional administrator or manager • Council-administrator or council-manager

4. Structures of County Government • Other elected county officials may include • Sheriff • Attorney • Judge • Clerk of Court • Coroner • Treasurer • Auditor • Assessor

5. County and Municipal Government in South Carolina • Under the Lords Proprietors (founders of the Province of Carolina), the Episcopal Church was the official church and the church parishes were used as organizing units of government. • Counties were established in 1785 as judicial districts, and the name “county” was returned by the Constitution of 1868.

6. Legislative Control of SC County Government • County legislative delegation – the members of the General Assembly who represent a particular county • Traditionally, one senator per county (total of 46) and a number of representatives based on population (total of 124) • The county delegation, led by the senator, was the governing authority for the county, and the county’s governmental functions were funded by a “supply bill” authored by the delegation and passed by the General Assembly each year

7. Legislative Control of SC County Government • Change to single-member districts which no longer conform to county lines (one senator per county violates equal population standards) • The legislative delegation system is still used, but it may include people who represent part of a county but don’t actually live there, e.g., Rep. Greg Delleney of Chester represents a district which includes southeastern York County and so he is a member of the YC legislative delegation even though non-resident

8. Home Rule and SC County Government • Article VIII of state Constitution (1973) • Local Government Act of 1975 • Provides for structures of county government • County power to enact three types of taxes established in 1996 • Temporary local-option one-cent sales tax to pay for capital projects (York County Pennies for Progress) • Accommodations tax for tourism-related projects • Hospitality tax (restaurant meals) for tourism purposes

9. Local Governments in SC • 46 counties • 269 municipalities • 85 school districts (down from 1221 in 1952) • 310 special districts (police, fire, garbage collection, water and sewer, parks and recreation)

10. Local Government • Voter turnout in municipal elections is significantly lower than in national elections • Nonpartisan elections have lower turnout because many voters use party as a voting cue • Most municipal elections are held at different times than national elections (odd-numbered years) • Traditionally, center cities have been Democratic and suburbs Republican, but trends may be changing (suburban voters are becoming more socially liberal in many areas)

11. City Manager • Progressive reform movement separated government administration from “politics” • Hired by council, accountable to them, can be fired by them • Professional, non-political administrator, may not be a resident of the city at the time of appointment • Career path is frequently to move on to manage a bigger city • Supervise city bureaucracy and personal staff • Manager may be more important in cities with part-time mayor and council members

12. Policy Issues in Local Government • Housing • Transportation (highways, mass transit) • Economic development – development of industry, jobs, tax base • Planning and zoning: Public regulation of property use • How the local government regulates the use of your land significantly affects its value, but cities are not required to compensate property owners for loss of value caused by zoning restrictions

13. Policy Issues in Local Government • Eminent domain: Fifth Amendment to US Constitution prevents taking private property for public use without “just compensation” • Ordinarily, private property was taken by government only for explicitly public use such as highways • Kelo v. City of New London [CT] (2005): US Supreme Court upheld the city’s condemnation of a property in order to sell it to a private developer who would increase its value to the city – this enhanced value justified the city’s actions

14. Suburbs vs. cities • Suburbs tend to have larger proportions of white population, center cities larger proportions of minority populations (7% vs. 22%) • Suburban populations tend to be wealthier, better-educated • Problems of center cities: crime, violence, lack of jobs, inadequate educational facilities, poverty, substandard housing • All of these present challenges for local governments to deal with • Middle-class flight to the suburbs has only exacerbated these problems within the center cities • People who can’t leave are the less-well educated with fewer skills and options

15. Suburbs vs. cities • Suburban populations tend to be able and willing to pay higher taxes for better schools • Center cities spend considerably more per capita on social programs for poverty populations (e.g., housing subsidies)

16. Sprawl • Suburbs grew up after WWII – more cars and highways, no longer necessary to live within walking distance to work • Unplanned, uncontrolled growth, particularly of suburban areas • Infrastructure challenges: traffic (lots of single-occupant vehicles instead of mass transit), utilities, availability of land, water, sewer • Environmental consequences

17. No-Growth Politics • Restrictions on growth • Zoning laws • Subdivision control projects • Utility regulations • Building permits • Environmental regulations • Restrictions on uses, development or strip malls • Opposition to street widening or provision of utilities • Growth restrictions inflate the value of existing homes and hurt the poor by restricting availability of affordable housing and limiting the number of jobs (construction, etc.) created by development