12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

Local Government

Chapter 25 Overview

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

Topics

I. What are the models for city government?

II. What services do cities provide?

III. Where do cities get the revenue?

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

I. What are the models for city government?

A. Mayor-Council Form

B. Commission Form

C. Council-manager form

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

A. Mayor-Council Form

• Oldest and most widely used• Elected mayor and city council

– Both popularly elected– Little partisan involvement

• Strong mayor model– Power to hire and fire

• Weak mayor model– Executive powers are shared with council– No veto power

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

B. Commission Form

• 3-9 commissioners

• Each commissioner heads a department– Public works, finance, safety

• 3 problems– Who is responsible?– Empire building– Lack of coordination

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

C. Council-manager form

• Strong council of 5 or so members– Responsible for policy making

• Weak mayor

• Professional city manager– Professional administrator– Responsible for policy application

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

II. What services do cities provide?

A. State services

B. Education

C. Public Welfare

D. Public safety

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

A. State services

• How??– State agencies– Local government

• Types of services– Education– Public Welfare– Public safety– Variations in services

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

B. Education

• Most Important issue?!??!?!

• local Boards versus State mandates

• Local $$$ versus State control

• Who is responsible to pay?

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

C. Public Welfare

• Public Health– Immunization– Health care– Public assistance

• Responsibility shared by state and federal– Skyrocketing costs– Aversion to taxes

• These are called entitlement programs

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

D. Public safety

• Cities control– Police– Fire

• Corrections operated by the state

• Highways and roads

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

III. Where do cities get the revenue?

A. The problem

B. Sales tax

C. Property taxes

D. Inheritance tax

E. Business taxes

F. Non tax Fees

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

A. The problem

• Unlimited Wants vs. Limited resources

• My money is a vital program, yours is government waste

• An aversion to taxes

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

B. Sales tax

• Sales tax – Part of a purchase– collected by states– It is a regressive tax

• Bill Gates and I pay the same tax for a product

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

B. Property taxes

• Collected by state– Collected by states– Must assess value of property– Proposition 13

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

C. Inheritance tax

• The Death tax

• Was common

• Now controversial

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

D. Business taxes

• Tax on business revenue

• Businesses should pay their fair share!!

• Businesses pass the cost on??

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

E. Non tax Fees

• City Fees

• Business licenses

• Liquor licenses

• Emergency call fees

• City services fees

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

F. Taxes (sec 4)

• Regressive taxes

• Proportional taxes

• Progressive taxes

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

What we know

• What are the differences between a mayor-council model and a commission model?

• What are the differences between a strong mayor model and a weak mayor model?

• What are the types of services state and local governments provide?

• How do governments pay for these services?

12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.

Terms

• Mayor-council government

• Strong mayor model• Weak mayor model• Commission

government• Council manager

government

• entitlement programs• Medicaid• Welfare• urbanization