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City government can get very big. New York City, for example, has nearly 9,000 sanitation workers alone. The Los Angeles Police Department employs 12,500 people. These departments are the size of many small towns. To provide good service, a city must be organized in an efficient manner.
Home Rule Organization
A city is generally the largest kind of munici- pality. Cities vary greatly, however, in size. New York City, for example, has a popula- tion of more than 8 million. On the other hand, the city of Parker, Pennsylvania, has only 799 people. Traditionally, cities received their char- ters and their authority from the state leg- islature. Increasingly, however, states have been granting to cities an authority called
home rule. Under home rule, a city can
write and amend its own municipal charter. This charter, usually written by a commis- sion, must be approved by the voters. READING CHECK (^) Making Predictions Does home rule strengthen or weaken local governments? Explain your answer.
Forms of City Governments
234 CHAPTER 9
A city may be small, like Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, or huge like New York City.
City Government
BEFORE YOU READ
The Main Idea
A city is usually larger than a town or village. In many cities a large population is crowded into a relatively small area, which creates many challenges for city government.
Reading Focus
1. How are city governments
organized under the home- rule system?
2. What are the different forms
of city government?
Key Terms
home rule, p. 234 city council, p. 235 mayor, p. 235 commission, p. 237
As you read, take notes on the different forms of city government. Use a diagram like this one to record your notes.
TAKING
NOTES
Why It Matters
Have students preview the chart that shows four types of city government on
page 236. Ask students to name the city in which they live, or a city near them. Ask students if they know how the city
is governed. Explain that knowing how a city’s government is organized would be helpful if they wished to contact an
official about an issue. As students read, ask them to create a list of city officials and what they do. Explain that this list
will help them know which office to contact when specific problems arise.
Academic Vocabulary
Review with students the high-use academic
term in this section.
primary main, most important (p. 235)
Key Terms
Preteach the following terms:
home rule authority of a city to write and
amend its own municipal charter (p. 234)
city council legislative body of a city’s
government (p. 235)
mayor city’s chief executive officer (p. 235)
commission three to nine elected officials
who act as a city’s legislative body (p. 237)
Taking Notes
Forms
of City
Governments
Weak
mayor
Strong
mayor
Commission Council-
manager
Teach the Main Idea
City Government
1. Teach Ask students the Reading Focus questions to teach this section. 2. Apply Tell students that they will create collages titled City. Ask students to define the term at the top of a poster board. Then have them cut out pictures from magazines that illustrate city officials or services. 3. Review Have students sort their pictures by category and tape or paste them to a sheet of paper or poster board to make a collage. 4. Practice/Homework Ask students to write captions for each picture in their collage. Encourage them to explain the different forms of city government through their captions.
At Level
Answers
Reading Check Possible answer: It
strengthens local government because a
city can write and amend its charter the
way it wishes.
Differentiating Instruction
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 235
Forms of City Government Cities manage a variety of responsibilities, such as providing education, health, and safety to their residents. Transportation systems, sanitation, water supplies, and fire and police protection are also part of the daily business of city govern- ments. A city government usually is organized in one of four ways. Depending on its charter, the city will have a mayor-council government, a strong-mayor government, a commission gov- ernment, or a council-manager government.
Mayor-Council Government
The oldest and most common form of city government is the mayor-council govern- ment. In this kind of government, the
city council is the legislative body, while the
mayor is the city’s chief executive officer.
In mayor-council governments, a city may be divided into several districts, often called wards. The people of each ward elect one person to represent them in a city coun- cil. In some cities, several council members at large are elected by all the voters in the city, rather than just the voters of one ward. Usually the mayor is also elected at large.
Weak-Mayor Plan During the country’s early years, Americans remembered British gover- nors who had abused their powers. For this reason, some cities developed the weak-mayor plan to limit the power of the mayor. Under the weak-mayor plan, the city council holds more power than the mayor. For example, the council appoints the city department heads, who report directly to the city council rather than to the mayor.
Strong-Mayor Plan Recently, many city gov- ernments using the mayor-council form of government have adopted a strong-mayor plan of city government. Under the strong- mayor plan, the mayor is the city’s chief exec- utive officer and has the primary responsi- bility for running the city’s government. For example, the mayor appoints most of the city officials. He or she usually also prepares the city budget. In some cities, the mayor can also veto ordinances passed by the city coun- cil. Because executive power is concentrated in the mayor, many people think that the strong-mayor plan is more efficient than the weak-mayor form.
Community meetings are a good forum for citizens to express their opinions.
Community Meeting The decisions of city governments can have a huge impact on citizens. City governments deal with a large number of issues, including building roads, providing police and fire production, regulating business and industry, and collecting taxes. In order to get the public’s feedback on important issues, city governments often hold community meetings. Citizens are given the opportunity to ask their elected officials questions and give their opinions on the issues facing the city. Why is it important for citizens to attend community meetings?
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
primary: main, most important
City officials can explain various issues at community meetings.
Reading Focus
How are city governments organized
under the home rule system?
Home Rule Organization
Recall What is the population of New York City? more than 8 million people Contrast What is the difference between the charter of a city that is under home rule and the charter of a city that is not under home rule? Cities under home rule can write and amend their charters, while those that are not under home rule receive their charters from the state legislature.
What are the different forms of city
government?
Forms of City Government
Describe How is the commission form of city government structured? A commission of elected officials acts as the city’s legislative body; each com- missioner also leads a department of city government. Rank Which form of city government do you think is best? Why? Students’ answers will vary but should show understanding of different forms of city government.
Graphic Organizer Activities: Chapter 9
Simulations and Case Studies: Lesson 9:
Oakville City Council Meeting on
Banning Smoking in Public Places
Answers
(photo) so they can give elected
officials feedback on the issues
facing the city
Learners Having Difficulty
Create a Graphic Organizer
1. Organize students into small groups. 2. Copy the following graphic organizer on the board, omitting the italicized answers:
A charter is granted by state government.
How City Governments Are Established
The state gives the city permission to write its own charter under home rule.
3. Have students complete the organizer to explain how city governments are established. Then ask them to write a definition of home rule in their own words. Verbal/Linguistic,
Visual/Spatial
Alternative Assessment Handbook: Rubric 13:
Graphic Organizers
Reading Focus
Below Level
Commission Government
A new form of government was introduced in Galveston, Texas, around 1900. Under
the commission form of government, a city
is governed by a commission that usually consists of three to nine elected officials, or commissioners. The commission acts as the city’s legislative body, passing laws for the community. The commission also acts as the city’s executive body, with each commissioner head- ing up a city department and enforcing laws relating to that department. For example, one commissioner usually heads the department of public safety, which includes the police and firefighters. Another commissioner oversees public works. This official sees that the city has an adequate supply of clean water and that the streets are kept in good repair. A third commis- sioner oversees the city’s finances, including tax collection. Another commissioner might supervise the public welfare department, which helps the city’s disadvantaged citizens. Still another commissioner might run the health department, which supervises hospi- tals, clinics, and health inspectors in the city. The commission form of city govern- ment has certain disadvantages. For exam- ple, voters may find it difficult to elect officials who know how to run a depart- ment of the city’s government. In addition, commissioners sometimes disagree about who should manage activities and budgets that fall under the jurisdiction of different departments.
Council-Manager Government
The council-manager plan of government is really a commission with a city manager added. Under the council-manager plan, voters elect a city council to act as the city’s lawmaking body. The council then appoints a city manager as the city’s chief executive. The city manager appoints the heads of the city departments. These officials report directly to the city manager, who may also remove them from office.
The council-manager government has several advantages. First, because the city manager is appointed and not elected, he or she is usually free from any political pressure. In addition, the council can fire the city man- ager if he or she does not do a good job. However, there are disadvantages to this form of government. Some cities cannot afford to hire a good manager, and some crit- ics argue that city officials should be directly accountable to the voters.
READING CHECK Finding the Main Idea What are the types of city government, and how are they different?
Reviewing Ideas and Terms
- a. Define Write a brief definition for the term home rule. b. Draw Inferences and Conclusions How does home rule loosen the restrictions on a city?
- a. Define Write a brief definition for the terms city council, mayor, and commission. b. Summarize How is a mayor-council government organized? c. Evaluate What are the strengths and weaknesses of the council-manager form of government? Critical Thinking
- Evaluating Use your notes and a chart like the one here to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of city government.
Focus on Writing
- Supporting Imagine that you are part of a com- mittee establishing a new city. Write a short speech explaining which of the four plans you believe is the most effective form of city government and why.
Types of City Government Advantages^ Disadvantages Strong Mayor Weak Mayor Commission Council-Manager
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 237
KEYWORD: SZ7 HP
go.hrw.com
Online Quiz
SECTION 3 ASSESSMENT
Close Use the chart on p. 236 to review the different forms of city government. Ask students to describe the organization of these city governments.
Review
Online Quiz: Section 3
Quiz Game
Assess
SE Section 3 Assessment
Daily Quizzes: Section 3
Reteach
Main Idea Activities for Differentiated
Abilities: Section 3
Answers
Reading Check mayor-council (strong/
weak mayor), commission, council-
manager; The power of the mayor,
the responsibilities of the council, the
officials involved in governing the city,
and how officials are chosen vary in the
different types of city government.
Section 3 Assessment Answers
1. a. home rule, p. 234 b. The city can write and amend its own municipal charter. 2. a. city council, p. 235; mayor, p. 235; com- mission, p. 237 b. The city council is the lawmaking body; the chief executive of the city government is the mayor, who enforces the laws. c. Strengths: The appointed city manager is free from political pressure and can be fired if he or she does not do a good job. Weaknesses: Some cities cannot afford
to hire a good manager. Managers are not directly accountable to voters.
3. Students should use the chart to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the strong mayor, weak mayor, commission, and council-manager plans. 4. Students’ speeches will vary but should clearly state their position and support it logically.
