State and Local Government

State Constitutions

• All have:o Preambleo Bill of Rightso Articles - describe structure, powers

● Most have amendments - Way to change it legislature initiative constitutional commission constitutional convention

Structure

• Similar to Nat’l Gov’t

• Legislative Branch - most are part time

• Executive Brancho Governor has line-item veto or amendatory veto

• Judicial Brancho trial, appeals, supreme

Local Governments

• 4 Types

• County - largest subdivision of a state Police, courts, jails Assess property value for taxes Keep records - death/birth Elections and public health

Local Governments

• Townshipo divides county for roads, police, water/sewage

• Special District - most common typeo provide specific service

schools fire water/sewer parks

Local Governments

• Municipalityo village, town, cityo people living close together need services - water,

sewer, police/fire protection

Local Governments

• Forms of municipal governmentso Council-Mayor (leg-exec separate)o Council-Manager → Manager hired by council, may

have a mayor too (leg-exec separate)o Commission → 5-7 members head different depts

(leg-exec combined) potential issues?

Financing State and Local Govt

• Limits on taxing powero Cannot tax interstate commerceo Cannot tax federal propertyo Cannot deprive people equal protection of the law

• Tax Revenueo Exciseo Saleso Regressiveo Progressiveo Proportional

Financing State and Local Govt

• Other Revenue Sourceso Bondso Lotteryo Intergovernmental Revenueo Federal Grantso Categorical-formula grantso Block Grantso Mandates

Financing State and Local Govt

• Local Revenue Sourceso Property tax - ⅔ of total local revenue

real v. personal property Assessment Market Value - what it sells for

• Fees and fines

Local Govt Services

• Educationo Elected school board

sets school policy

• Fire and police protection

• Water, sewage and sanitation

• Trash collection

• Libraries

• Recreation

• Transportation - mass transit → buses, trains, subway

Challenges Local Govt Face

City govt have diff. issues

• Housingo Urban renewalo Shortageso Homelessness - may result from alcohol/drug abuse,

criminal, mental illness, unemployment

• Revitalization and Gentrification