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Unit 4B Local Gov
AG - Unit 4B Local Government Review
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Unfunded Mandate | When the national or state government requires a certain service, but doesn’t provide money to pay for them |
| Per Capita Tax | A flat tax that is levied on all adult residents within a taxing district |
| Real Estate Tax | A tax that is levied on the assessed value of a resident’s property; it is the major source of revenue for county and local governments |
| Income Tax | A tax that is levied on your earned wages during the calendar year |
| Local Service Tax | A flat tax that is levied on any person employed in a township |
| Mayor | The elected head of a city, town, or other municipality who is responsible for running the city government as he/she appoints most city officials. He/she also prepares a budget for the city and can veto decisions made by the city council |
| Council | The (elected) legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality, or local government area |
| Manager | Chief administrator who is appointed by the city council and is responsible for hiring/firing city employees, preparing budgets, and controlling spending |
| City | The largest form of local government |
| Borough | A more densely populated area than a township; the second largest form of local government |
| Township | A less densely populated area than a city or a borough; usually the smallest form of local government |
| County | A division of state government formed to carry out state laws, collect taxes, and supervise elections in a single, small area |
| Basic services that county governments provide | Maintain roads; provide emergency services; keep records of property ownership, birth certificates, marriages, wills, and estates; run elections; operate courts/jails; offer mental health services/relief to the poor; provide/maintain recreational parks |
| Other ways county and local governments can gather money | Charge a sales tax on products sold in the county; per capita taxes, income taxes, local service taxes; fees (parking, permits for building and having yard sales, garbage bags, and fines for violations of local laws) |
| Number of counties in PA | 67 |
| County you live in | York County |
| Dillon’s Rule: | The state legislature grants a charter to the county to set up a local government with certain powers given to it by the state |
| Home Rule: | Counties are considered to have natural powers, thus having some independence from the state. They have more freedom to make decisions about what services to provide to their residents |
| Basic services that local governments provide their residents | Local law enforcement/fire protection services; road maintenance within the city, township, or borough (secondary and tertiary roads); water and sewage treatment; parks and recreational facilities; garbage removal |
| How county governments are structured: Commission | County commissioners are elected, and they share some power with other elected officials, such as the county sheriff, treasurer, coroner, and district attorney |
| How county governments are structured: Commission/Administrator (Manager) | Elected county commissioners appoint a non-elected individual to serve as the county’s administrator or manager who can be fired by the commissioners if they believe he/she isn’t doing his/her job |
| How county governments are structured: Commission/Executive | Along with county commissioners, a separate individual is elected to serve as the county executive. |
| Type of organizational structure of county governments York County has | York County has a board of commissioners style of government |
| How Row Officers are elected | Each Row Officer is elected by the citizens of York County to a 4-year term with no term limit |
| Length of office for York County’s Commissioners | 4-year term |
| Responsibilities of York County’s Commissioners | They pass/enforce county laws (ordinances), figure out the county’s budget, and decide what the county’s policies will be |
| Duties of Treasurer in York County | Receives and deposits money for York County; sells hunting, fishing, and dog licenses |
| Duties of Controller in York County | Maintains all accounting records of the county |
| Duties of Register of Wills in York County | Keeps and maintains records about last will and testaments |
| Duties of Recorder of Deeds in York County | Records and maintains all real estate documents in York County |
| Duties of Prothonotary in York County | Keeps and maintains records of all civil cases heard in county court |
| Duties of Clerk of Courts in York County | Processes, maintains, and records criminal case records for York County Court of Common Pleas; also collects court costs and fines |
| Duties of Coroner in York County | Investigates and completes death certificates for deaths that occur under suspicious circumstances, operative deaths, and stillbirths |
| Duties of District Attorney in York County | Chief law enforcement officer of the county |
| Duties of Sheriff in York County | Officer of the court; serves subpoenas, provides security in courtrooms, and transports prisoners to and from correctional facilities |
| How city governments are structured: Mayor-Council (Strong) | Person is elected to the city council and represents one of the city’s districts, called a ward. elected council members hold legislative powers, and elected mayor holds executive powers |
| How city governments are structured: Mayor-Council (Weak) | Person is elected to the city council and represents one of the city’s districts, called a ward; elected city council members hold both legislative and executive powers |
| How city governments are structured: Commission | Person is elected and is the head of one of the city’s departments; elected commission members (usually between 3 and 9 members) hold both legislative and executive powers |
| How city governments are structured: Council-Manager | Council-Manager is appointed by the elected city council; elected city council members hold legislative powers, and the appointed city manager/supervisor possesses executive powers |
| Responsibilities of local governments (city councils or commissions/supervisors) | Pass local ordinances (curfews, snow removal, street lighting, heights of fences/grass); set local tax rates; review /approve budget; provide and organize services to residents (police, fire, road maintenance); impose restrictions on residents |
| Why townships were originally created | Townships were originally created to govern rural areas, maintain roads, and control weeds |
| Responsibility of Township Zoning Board | Regulates how land will be used |
| Responsibility of Township Sewer and Water Authority | Provides safe and reliable drinking water; ensures that the sewage and storm water is removed and treated before being released back into the environment |
| Responsibility of Township Planning Commission | Proposes plans for future activities and developments |
| Responsibility of Township Public Works Commission | Supervises and manages services, such as trash and recycling collection, street lights, and township road maintenance |
| Difference between a township and borough | A township is a less densely populated area than a city or a borough and is usually the smallest form of local government |
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tmgilbert
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