Local Government Counties

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1 Local Government Counties Counties are the major form of local government, and exist in every state Called Parishes in Louisiana and Boroughs in Alaska Counties can provide many different types of services, which can vary widely by state School systems Court systems Elections Law Enforcement/Prisons Prosecution Collect Taxes Repair Roads -issue marriage licenses -record property deeds and mortgages -public welfare -health services -water, sewer services -transportation systems -recreations

2 Pennsylvania Counties In Pennsylvania Counties cover the entire state, including local municipalities, so you both a resident of the state, the county you live in, and the municipality you live in! So what are Pennsylvania Counties responsible for doing? According to PA County Codes Community Development Economic Development Running Elections (this is where you register to vote) Judicial: Oversee Magisterial District Courts and Court of Common Pleas Prosecutor District Attorney, Provide law enforcement services and a local prison Human Services Social services, child/youth services, coroner, drug/alcohol prevention, etc. Real Estate Assessment Transportation Real Estate Assessment, Land Deeds Tax Administration Infrastructure responsible for all bridges

3 Luzerne County PA Counties are governed by commissioners elected by the citizens of the county Most counties are governed by 3 commissioners EXCEPT home rule counties Luzerne County has 11 commissioners one county manager acts as executive In addition to the commissioners, other county officials include: Controller (Auditor) watches over all county finances District Attorney Chief Law Enforcement officer, leads investigations and prosecutes crimes Coroner handles all death investigations Sheriff handles court security, prison security, deliver subpoenas, issue firearms licenses Register of Wills administer marriage licenses, birth and death certificates Public Defender provide free legal services to those accused of a crime Bureau of Elections run all aspects of elections for local, state, national elections Licensing provide various required licenses Agencies provide various county level services, such as transportation and social services

4 Municipal Government in PA Municipalities are incorporated governments, recognized by the state, that are the smallest level of government (underneath a county) The General Assembly governs how local governments, counties, and school districts run through statutes or codes Municipalities, Counties, and School Districts must strictly follow the state codes/statutes for how their government is structured and the powers that it has Voters of a municipality may wish to choose their own structure and powers of the government, they can do this through a home rule charter, if voted upon through a referendum This means they create their own government structure and powers for the municipality A home rule charter allows municipalities to ignore the state municipal codes and create their own structure and organization, as long as it does not go against the PA Constitution

5 Types of PA Municipalities The designation a municipality receives is generally based on population and density, each type has different standard structures and powers for the government If a municipality changes to meet a different classification Cities - larger populations (10,000+) with a high density, large amount of businesses 3 classes of cities Philadelphia only 1 st class city, Pittsburgh/Scranton 2 nd class city Strong Mayor usually mayor has a lot of power, similar to a Governor or a President Boroughs medium populations (5,000 or less) medium density some business No classes for boroughs Weak mayor strong council council may appoint a borough manager to carry out laws/statutes Townships 2 classes of townships based on population/density very decentralized, council has most power Towns Bloomsburg the only town in PA, but functions much the same to a borough

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7 Local Government Services/Powers Local Governments provide very localized services, but these can vary by municipality Police Force Fire Department (volunteer or professional) Trash Collection/Disposal Maintain local roads and streets Water supply Sewage Collection and Treatment License businesses -Create/Enforce building and property -Public Health Services -Parking/Traffic Control -Community Planning Zoning -Parks and Recreation -Building/Structural Codes

8 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Municipalities can legally make contracts/agreements that combine or share services, such as Police or Fire Departments Authorities can be created to provide a specific service to a multitude of municipalities (Dallas Area Municipal Authority, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport, Etc.) Municipalities may also contract with private corporations to provide services such as trash disposal, road construction, etc. DAMA provides sewage, compost, recycling, and other services to Kingston Township, Dallas Borough, and Dallas Township

9 School Districts School Districts in Pennsylvania are considered a local government entity School Districts are independent of any municipality or county government School Districts must follow the Pennsylvania School Code and PA laws/policies concerning publicly funded schools overseen by PA Dept. of Education School Districts are governed solely by an elected school board Superintendent (appointed by school board) and their staff run day to day operations of the school district

10 Local Government Structure Cities in PA tend to have a closer type of government to the state or federal government with separate and defined branches Mayor acts as the elected executive to carry out laws, handle day to day business, and can appoint/delegate different people to jobs and department head positions in the city government City Council creates the ordinances, approves budgets, taxes, etc. legislative branch of city Borough and Township elected government positions are more purely legislative May be called different terms Borough Council, Commissioners, Board of Supervisors, etc. Boroughs may have a mayor, but usually have little power, may oversee Police Dept. for example Municipalities may hire a borough/township manager as an employee who is responsible for making sure the ordinances are enforced and run day to day business of the municipality

11 Local Government Scenarios So what kind of laws do Local Governments make? What are issues that they need to address? Local Government laws and rules are typically called an ordinance these can vary by municipality and by county Simulation discuss the following issues

12 Noise Issue The borough of Jackstonia is a medium sized borough with about 5,000 regular residents. Another 2,000 or so young adults populate Jackstonia throughout the school year as college students at the college in Jackstonia. Some residents have come forward recently, complaining that there needs to be a new noise ordinance because the students are too loud on the weekends late into the night. The current noise ordinance does not allow noise louder than 80 decibels that can be heard 30 feet from source of the noise after 11 pm. Residents are demanding the ordinance be changed to 50 decibels that can be heard 10 feet from source after 10 pm, with a fine of $100 for just the 1 st offense. What are your feelings as the: Borough Resident, College Student, College Administrator, Borough Council Member

13 Lawn Issue The borough of Jackstonia is a medium sized borough with about 5,000 regular residents, 7,000 when the local college is in session. Jackstonia has a current ordinance that requires residents to keep their lawns well maintained with grass no higher than 4 inches, and all weeds need to be eliminated from the lawns and surrounding landscape. This ordinance has recently been challenged by a resident-environmentalist who believes that the elimination of weeds encourages the use of harmful pesticides that can cause damage to the environment and the community at large. What should the City Council do? Keep the ordinance as it is? Change it? Or take a different type of action? Keep in mind that yards full of weeds can drive down the property values. What are your feelings as the: Borough Resident, Environmental Group, College Student, Borough Council Member

14 Couches in the Yards The borough of Jackstonia is a medium sized borough with about 5,000 regular residents, 7,000 when the local college is in session. The Borough Manager has brought it to the attention of the council that many college students who rent homes in residential neighborhoods have started putting couches on their porches and the front lawn. Not only does this appear unsightly, but the couches have started to present a public health hazard as they collect water and mildew/mold/stench develops. These are next door to families with small children who fear the health consequences and also fear the appearance will drive down property values. Currently no ordinance exists that makes it illegal to have couches on front porches or lawns. What are your feelings as the: Borough Resident, College Administrator, College Student, Borough Council Member

15 Tax Increase Issue The Borough budget has been very tight the past few years, and the budget for the upcoming year appears to be no different. The Police Union has insisted on a pay raise for officers who have not received one in the last 7 years. It appears that many police officers may leave the borough for other jobs if they do not receive their raise, and the Union is not backing down in negotiations with the borough. Ultimately it appears the best option for the borough is to raise the property taxes by 3% for the next year, which should cover enough to give the raise. However many property owning residents are upset by this and may leave the borough. They also believe that this tax raise may cause residents who are renting in the borough to move when their rent is raised by their landlords. The College is also concerned that many students may leave the borough and move to an outlying municipality. What are your feelings as the Resident Property Owner, Resident Renter, College Administrator, College Student, Police Officer, Police Union, Borough Council Member

16 Pool Drain Issue Example of how Federalism affects local governments! For decades the Borough pool has served as a place of joy and fun for families of Jackstonia. Though the pool is dated, it is well maintained and serves an important role in the community, especially in the summer. However the Federal Government has recently passed a new law called the Virginia Graeme Pool and Spa Safety Act that requires all pools to have a certain type of pool drain for safety. No pool is grandfathered in, so every public pool MUST install these new drains within a year. The borough faces a problem because it must install these new types of drains to be in compliance, but the borough did not budget for this expense. There are federal grants available to install the drain, but they are not guaranteed.. so the borough must face the difficult decision whether to spend precious savings on the drain or to shut down the pool if they do not receive federal grant money for the drain. What are your feelings as the Resident, Resident Youth, Pool Employee, Borough Council Member This is an example of how a municipality can be affected by federal mandates that are unfunded.. A problem common that many municipalities face

17 MUNICIPAL ZONING AND CODES

18 What is Zoning? Think about the different sections of the area where you live? Are there residential neighborhoods? Business Areas? Industrial Areas? Schools? Parks and Forests? Parking lots? Etc. Are they all clearly separate areas or is there some areas together in some spots If you notice theres a pattern with the types of buildings around each other this is zoning! Zoning Ordinances are created by municipalities to divide the municipality into different zones in which certain uses of land is prohibited or allowed in certain areas Additionally, Municipalities may make codes for how buildings or structures can be designed, built, etc. in certain areas.

19 Informational Videos on Zoning and Codes San Francisco Zoning Video San Francisco Landscaping Codes Montgomery Planning Zoning Video Zoning TED Talk Remember a big part of municipal government is keeping high property values Property Values are all about demand you want people to want to live in your area The nicer the area you live in, the more demand people have to move there, the higher the property value (which means you can sell your house or business for more money!) This is a major reason why municipalities have zoning regulations and codes for buildings/landscapes Zoning also allows municipalities to organize the area according to its geography and allow for organization for how the city will grow and develop For example: You wouldn t want a bunch of business traffic causing a traffic jam on your neighborhood road

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22 Considerations for Zoning All of these things need to be considered when creating zones Area does the type of building fit in with the zoning area (would you want an elementary school next to a jail? A big factory next to a home?) What will be the impact on traffic and parking? Ex. Will a single lane road be able to handle a high rise apartment building built next to it that doubles traffic in the area of that road? (traffic jam?) What impact will the building have on the environment in the area? Can utilities like water, electricity, and sewer reasonably be connected to the building? Lifestyle considerations? Ex. Night Club built in a neighborhood - Will there be a lot of activity/noise late at night that causes a nuisance to the neighbors? In some cases a business or builder can seek a zoning variance that allows them to construct a building that wouldn t normally fit the zone it is in.. This is usually decided on by a community zoning board

23 Careers in State/Local Government Much like the federal government, numerous career opportunities exist in state and local government State Agencies exist to serve many different purposes and hire different types of professionals Environmental, Health, Education, Finance, Law Enforcement, and more! If you find zoning or planning interesting, there are full time career opportunities in urban planning, community planning/development, or working in municipal government administrations Majors in Political Science, Urban/Community Planning, Economics, and other areas can help you gain the education necessary to be successful in these fields..