City Charter: Local Governments

• In 1900, about one third of the nation's 76 million people lived in urban areas.
• Today, about three fourths of the 300 million Americans live in urban areas.
• The United States has become a mostly urban nation over the past century.
• Local governments do not have legal independence, despite being the closest units of government to the people.
• Local governments are created by, and are entirely dependent on, the state.
• State constitutions usually establish the powers and duties of local governments.
• The U.S. Constitution does not mention the existence of local governments.

The City Charter

• Most states define a municipality as an incorporated place, which is a locality with an officially organized government that provides services to residents.
• A city is a municipal government.
• New cities are created every year as people in urban communities incorporate.
• Cities apply to the state legislature for a city charter, which is a legal document that grants power to a local government.
• A community must meet certain requirements to obtain a charter, such as having a minimum population size.
• A city charter is like a constitution, describing the type of city government, its structure, and its powers.

Home Rule

• There has been a movement to grant home rule to cities for many decades.
• Home rule allows cities to write their own charters, choose their own type of government, and manage their own affairs.
• Cities with home rule still have to follow state laws.

Basic Forms of Municipal Government

• Every municipal charter provides for the type of government the community will have.
• There are three basic forms of municipal government used in urban areas today: the mayor-council form, the commission form, and the council-manager form.

The Mayor-Council Form

• The mayor-council form is the most common form of government today and is preferred by the largest cities.
• The mayor-council form follows the traditional concept of separation of powers.
• Executive power belongs to a mayor, and legislative power to a council.
• Voters elect a mayor and the members of a city council.
• The mayor is the chief executive of the city government and is responsible for overseeing the operation of administrative offices.
• The mayor often appoints the heads of departments, such as public works, planning, police and fire protection, and other offices.

The City's Legislature

• The council acts as the legislature, approving the city budget and passing city laws, which are usually known as ordinances.
• Most city councils have fewer than 10 members, who usually serve four-year terms.
• Public opinion refers to the ideas and attitudes that most people hold about a particular issue or person, and plays a key role in a democracy.
• Some cities are divided into voting districts called wards, each of which elects a representative to the city council.
• Some or all of the council members are known as members-at-large in other cities and are elected by the entire city.

Types of Mayor Council Government

• There are two main types of mayor-council government, depending on the power given to the mayor: the strong-mayor system and the weak-mayor system.