Local Governments in Texas

Transcription

1 Local Governments in Texas Mora, Chapter 6 [This material will be on the Final Exam.]

2 Legal Status of Texas Cities Incorporation To form a municipality, an unincorporated area must Have a population of at least 200 Be outside the legal jurisdiction of other incorporated municipalities Have voter approval Complete an incorporation petition After incorporation, voters must approve a city charter.

3 Legal Status of Texas Cities General Law Cities Have less than 5,000 residents Are limited to governmental structures and powers granted by state law Bound by Dillon s Rule a city can exercise only those powers expressly allowed by state law

4 Legal Status of Texas Cities Home Rule Cities Have 5,000 or more people Can take any actions not prohibited by national or Texas law

5 Three Forms of City Government Mayor-Council Form Voters elect a mayor as chief executive of the city Voters elect a council that serves as a legislative body The city charter determines the mayor s strength Has two subforms

6 Forms of City Government Mayor-Council Form: Strong mayor Has appointment/removal authority over city agency heads Has budget preparation control May exercise veto authority over city council actions Found in Houston, El Paso

7 Forms of City Government Mayor-Council Form: Weak mayor Mayor has little control over policy initiation or implementation Mayor s powers may be constrained by Appointment/removal power of city officers Limited budgetary authority

8 Forms of City Government City Commission Form Originated in Galveston, TX after the hurricane of 1900 Combines executive, legislative, and administrative functions in a number of elected commissioners Problems? Ineffective political leadership: no single person in charge Minimal oversight/review of policies and budgets Commissioners elected as visionaries, not necessarily effective administrators

9 Forms of City Government Council-Manager Form Mayor chosen by city council from among membership OR -- Mayor elected citywide Mayor is voting member of city council but has few other powers City council develops public policy City council hires a full-time city manager for daily administration. Used in Dallas, San Antonio

10 City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Grew up in Acres Homes Went to UH, Harvard law school Former state representative Ran for mayor in 1991, 2003 Won runoff against Bill King in 12/2015

11 For the final. Who is the City of Houston police chief? Which city did he come from? Who is the City of Houston fire chief? Which city did he come from? Who do these officers report to?

12 City of Houston Mayors Houston s first woman mayor? Kathy Whitmire Houston s first minority mayor? Lee P. Brown

13 City Revenues Two largest sources? Property taxes Levy on real property Exemptions granted to homeowners, elderly, disabled citizens Sales taxes Levy on retail sale of item Other sources Franchise fees Fees from licenses, permits, etc. paid by telephone, gas, cable and electric utility companies Traffic fines Can also borrow money by issuing bonds

14 City Election Systems Council members are elected in nonpartisan elections At-large elections are generally used All of a city s voters participate in the selection of all members of the city council. An alternative is single-member district elections City is divided into separate geographic districts, each represented by a different council member Houston uses a combination Eleven (11) members chosen from districts (A K) Five (5) members elected at-large

15 Annexation and Suburban Development Annexation is the power of a city to increase its geographic size by taking in adjacent unincorporated areas. Cities can annex up to 10 percent of their existing territory in a year Unused authority carries over to subsequent years

16 Annexation and Suburban Development Extraterritorial jurisdiction is the power of an incorporated city to control development within nearby unincorporated areas. Generally, within one-half to five miles of city limits

17 Annexation and Suburban Development Reasons for annexation? Cities Want to protect tax bases and financial health Don t want to be encircled by other incorporated municipalities Want to reap political benefits of a larger population

18 Counties Counties possess the powers delegated to them by the state. They do NOT have home-rule authority, so they can only carry out those administrative functions granted by the state.

19 Counties Texas has 254 counties.

20 Counties Texas has 254 counties. The largest county (in land mass) is Brewster County 6,204 square miles

21 Counties Texas has 254 counties. The largest county in population is Harris County - over 4 million people

22 Counties Texas has 254 counties. The smallest county (in land mass) is Rockwall County 147 square miles

23 Counties Texas has 254 counties. The smallest county (in population) is Loving County 82 residents 2010 census 113 residents 2016 census estimate

24 The Structure of County Government The governing body of a county is commissioners court What does commissioners court do? In ALL counties in Texas, commissioners court is made up of A county judge What does the county judge do in urban areas? In rural areas? Who is the Harris County judge? Four county commissioners, elected from precincts What do county commissioners do in urban areas? In rural areas?

25 Other Elected County Officials Make sure you know the responsibilities of the elected county officials (pgs ): District attorney, county attorney Sheriff, constables Who is the Harris County sheriff? County Clerk, District Clerk Tax Assessor-Collector County Treasurer, County Auditor Etc....