Texas

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• Texas
• Local Government

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Focus
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• Local governments3 Types
• Municipal Governments(Also Known As, City
  governments)
• County Governments
• Special Districts
• Council of Governments (COGs)

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Learning Objectives
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• The 5 levels of government in the U.S. Political
  System.
• Name 3 types of local governments.
• Know the functions of the 3 types of local
  governments.
• The classifications of towns and cities.

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Learning Objectives (continued)
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• The municipal election systems.
• 4 ways to generate revenue
• List 5 or more types of special districts.
• What is COGs?

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• An institution refers to an ongoing organization
  that performs certain functions for society.
• The word itself is derived from the Greek word
  meaning tool a tool is something that you use to
  get something done.

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• Government refers to the institutions in which
  decisions are made that resolve conflicts or
  allocate benefits and privileges.
• E.G., Congress is a government.

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Why Do We Need To Know AboutThese Local
Governments?
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• Local Governments are closest to the people, much
  more so than the national and state governments.
• Local Governments have a direct and immediate
  effect in our lives.
• When citizens understand each local governments
  function, such citizens can better ensure the
  correct operation of eachthat is, rule them
  better.
• Citizens need to know which local government to
  turn to when a problem arises.

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Which Governments HandleThese Problems?
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• A neighborhood watch group goes to whom when a
  citys street lighting needs attention?
• A public park has several broken swings that can
  harm childrenwho do parents seek for help?
• 50 parents of elementary-age children have a
  serious concern with the uniform of a certain
  public, elementary school where do the parents
  seek help?

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A. Municipal Government
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Municipal Government General information
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• All local governments are bound by federal and
  state laws as well as the US and Texas
  constitutions.
• The relationship between states and local
  governments takes the form of a unitary system of
  government.
• Municipalities have only as much power as the
  Texas Constitution and Texas legislature grant
  them.

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Municipal Government Function
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• There are over 1200 municipal governments in
  Texas.
• All cities have the power to create ordinances,
  which are laws passed by the city council, the
  legislative branch of cities.
• Ordinances may be passed in such areas as
  traffic, maintaining streets and bridges
  (non-state or national roadways), health and
  safety, building codes, and zoning (regulating
  commercial and residential activity).

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A neighborhood watch group goes to whom when a
citys street lighting needs attention?
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• City-Council Government

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Classifications of Municipalities
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• Home-rule Cities
• General Law Cities

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Home-Rule City Defined
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• Home-rule cities must have at least 5,000
  people.
• A city with 5, 000 or more, by majority vote, may
  become a home-rule city.
• Once a home-rule city, it has the state-granted
  right to frame, adopt, and amend its own charter
  and laws (ordinances).
• A home-rule city whose population has dropped to
  5,000 or less may retain its home-rule
  designation.

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Home-rule (Contd)
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• A home-rule city not only can adopt its own
  charter, but also structure its local government
  as it sees fit.
• That is, home-rule cities permit local voters to
  exact their will directly on government through
  initiative, referendum, and recall.

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Initiative
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• An election method that permits the people to
  place a proposal on the ballot for voter
  approval. If the measure passes, it becomes law.

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Referendum
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• An election that permits voters to determine if
  an ordinance or statue will go into effect

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Recall
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• An election that permits voters to remove an
  elected official

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General Law Cities
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• Cities with a population of 5,000 or less whose
  structure and organization are defined (and
  limited) by state law
• The vast majority of Texas citiesabout 75
  percentare general-law cities.

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A Non Municipality
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• A non-municipal area is a geographical location
  that has not become a city.
• There are over 5000 unincorporated areas that do
  not have a municipal government. Accordingly,
  these unincorporated communities do not have any
  municipal government.(Unincorporated means, not
  to be merged into a town/city)

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3 Common Forms Of Municipal Governments
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• The Council-Manager Plan
• The Mayor-Council Plan 2 Types
• Strong Mayor Plan
• Weak Mayor Plan
• The Commission Plan

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The Council-Manager Plan
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• The plan consists of a city council that is
  part-time.
• The council acts as the legislative branch of the
  city.
• The council appoints a city manager to be the
  chief administrative officer for the city.

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The Council-Manager Plan (Contd)
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• The manager is a professional administrator.
• The council manager plan is a result of the
  reform movement in the early part of the 20th
  century which sought honest and business like
  city government.
• San Antonio uses this plan.

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The Mayor-Council Plan Two Types
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• Strong Mayor Plan
• Weak Mayor Plan

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The Mayor-Council Plan Strong Mayor Plan
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• The mayor is a strong chief executive who works
  with a city council.
• The mayor makes appointments, prepares the
  budget, and is responsible for the management of
  city government.
• The mayor also sets the council agenda, proposes
  policy and (in many cities) may veto council
  actions.

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The Mayor-Council Plan Strong Mayor Plan
(Contd)
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• The city council is the legislative branch for
  the city.
• This plan gives much power to the mayor.
• It is not popular in Texas.

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The Mayor-Council Plan Weak Mayor Plan
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• The mayor has few executive powers.
• Power is distributed among the mayor and the
  council.
• Power is decentralized and fragmented in this
  plan.
• Popular with many smaller cites which need little
  city administration.

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The Commission Plan
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• The commission plan is the most decentralized
  plan of municipal government in Texas.
• Commissioners are both executive and legislative
  branch members.

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The Commission Plan (Contd)
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• The commissioners, sitting together, are the
  legislature, BUT individually each administers a
  city department.
• As a group, the fragmented and confusing system
  is used in only a few cities.

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Municipal Elections 3 Forms
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• At-Large Elections
• For Mayors and City Council Members
• Single-Member Districts
• For City Council Members
• Cumulative Voting
• For City Council Members

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A Municipal Election Approach
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• At-Large Elections
• For Mayors and City Council Members

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General Meaning For At-Large Elections
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• An election in which candidates are chosen on an
  individual basis rather than as representatives
  of a geographically defined, single-member
  district.
• Definition obtained from this link
  http//www.ncsl.org/?TabId13539

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At-Large Elections 2 Forms
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• At-large Place System
• Each candidate runs for a specific seat on the
  council (e.g., place 1, place 2, place 3, and so
  fourth). It is an organizational measure.
  Accordingly, these placements are not a
  geographically defined district.
• Each candidate is elected by either a plurality
  or a majority of votes cast citywide for that
  particular seat (place) and neither candidates
  nor voters are confined by their residence.

• Pure, At-large System
• The voters elect all the members of the city
  council.
• The voters simply choose from all the candidates
  to fill the available council seats, with the
  winning candidates being those who receive the
  most votes.

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Another Municipal Election Approach
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• Single-Member Districts For City Council Members

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First, Lets Define An Electoral District
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• An electoral district is a distinct territorial
  subdivision for holding a separate election for
  one or more seats in a legislative body.
• The aforementioned came from the link below
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_district

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Single-Member Districts
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• A single representative who works for a specific
  geographically defined area an election
  district.
• That representative must live in the district for
  which she/he works.
• Also, the citizens by their residence are
  assigned to an election district and are voting
  only for those candidates who live in the same
  district as them.
• A helpful link for above information
• http//aceproject.org/electoral-advice/archive/que
  stions/replies/577511787

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Single-Member Districts (Contd)
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• A single-member district is more likely to
  represent ethnic and racial minorities better
  than the at-large method.
• For example, one study found that Mexican
  American candidates in Texas cities were more
  likely to win the district positions than the
  at-large seats in mixed systems (Schmidt et al,
  2009-2010 983).

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Another Municipal Election Approach
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• Cumulative Voting For City Council Members

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Cumulative Voting A Type of Proportional
Representation
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• First, I will explain the purpose of proportional
  representation. Then, I will explain how
  cumulative voting is a type of proportional
  representation.
• The basic idea behind proportional representation
  is to try to ensure that those issues most
  supported by the greatest numbers of people are
  represented on the city council or any other
  legislative body.

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Proportional Representation (Contd)
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• Proportional representation has the advantage of
  enabling the representation on the city council
  of both majority interests and significant
  minority interests without requiring that
  minorities be segregated as in single-member
  districts.
• Essentially, issues would be represented on the
  city council in proportion to the number of votes
  they received.

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Proportional Representation (Contd)
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• For Example
• If 40 percent of the citys voters thought that
  the primary focus of the city council should be
  on public safety, then under proportional
  representation, 40 percent of the council would
  be made up of members who had the same position.

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Proportional Representation (Contd)

• To repeat, proportional representation has the
  advantage of enabling the representation on the
  city council of both majority interests and
  significant minority interests without requiring
  that minorities be segregated as in single-member
  districts.

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Cumulative Voting A Type Of Proportional
Representation
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• Cumulative voting is a form of proportional
  representation.
• With cumulative voting, all voters get a number
  of votes equal to the number of places for which
  they are choosing candidates.
• Thus, a type of at-large election system that
  permits voters to cast one or more votes for a
  single candidate.

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Cumulative Voting A Type of Proportional
representation (Contd)
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• Example If a city council is constructed and has
  eight districts, then its total membership size
  is eight. Because of this, each voters is given
  eight votes to cast for one or more candidates.
  Accordingly, if a voter can cast up to 8 votes
  in a city council race, all 8 votes could be cast
  for one candidate or spread among several
  candidates.

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Cumulative Voting Is A Type of Proportional
representation (Contd)
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• Another example a voter can cast 3 votes for one
  candidate and the remaining 5 votes for another
  candidate.

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Revenue Sources and Limitations
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• Sales Tax
• Property Tax
• Public Debt
• User fees
• Rollback Election

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Sales Tax
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• Tax on products bought by consumers.

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Property Tax

• A tax in which revenue is based on a percent of
  the assessed values of real property.

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Limits On Property Taxes Rollback Elections

• In Texas, an election that permits voters to
  lower a local property tax increase to eight
  percent.
• For school districts, an election to decide if a
  tax increase will stand is automatically held if
  the increase exceeds .06 per 100 of assessed
  valuation no petition is necessary.

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Limits On Property Taxes Rollback Elections
(Contd)

• Voters in non-school district jurisdictions (that
  is, cities, counties, and other special districts
  such as, hospital or airport special districts)
  may petition for a rollback election to limit an
  increase in the property tax rate to no more than
  8 percent.
• The petition must be signed by at least 10
  percent of registered voters.

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Public Debt

• Normally, bond issues must be approved by the
  voters in a referendum to fund infrastructure
  projects such as roads, buildings, and public
  facilities.
• In Texas, the law limits the amount of long-term
  debt to a percentage of assessed valuation
  governments from becoming bankrupt as they did
  during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
• Links
• Bonds http//stocks.about.com/od/understandingsto
  cks/a/bondbas102604.htm
• Bonds http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_(finance
  )
• Bonds http//www.investorwords.com/521/bond.html
  

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User fees

• A charge paid by an individual who receives a
  particular government service such as
  city-provided water , electricity, or garbage
  collection.

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An Important Issue For Municipalities

• Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)

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Extraterritorial Jurisdiction

• The Municipal Annexation Act establishes a
  buffer area, knows as extraterritorial
  jurisdiction (ETJ). ETJs extend from one-half
  mile to five miles beyond the citys limits,
  depending on the citys population.
• The cities can enforce zoning and building codes
  in the outlying areas, known as ETJs, and new
  cities may not be incorporated within the ETJ.
  
• Definition and Links
• Annex Defineda policy that permits a city to add
  unincorporated areas into the citys
  jurisdiction.
• Annex defined http//www.henderson.lib.nc.us/coun
  ty/planning/projects/ccp/24_appendix_IV_glossary.h
  tml
• Annex defined http//www.audioenglish.net/dictio
  nary/annex.htm

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Extraterritorial Jurisdiction continued

• The law also gives home-rule cities the power to
  annex an area equal to 10 percent of their
  existing area each year without the consent of
  the inhabitants of the area to be annexed.
• With this protection and with long-range
  planning, Texas cities can avoid being boxed in
  by suburban bedroom cities.
• Definition and Links
• Annex Defineda policy that permits a city to add
  unincorporated areas into the citys
  jurisdiction.
• Annex defined http//www.henderson.lib.nc.us/coun
  ty/planning/projects/ccp/24_appendix_IV_glossary.h
  tml
• Annex defined http//www.audioenglish.net/dictio
  nary/annex.htm

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Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (Contd)

• One Strategy within the concept of ETJs involves
  annexing fingers of land outward from the
  existing city limits and placing the area between
  the fingers into the ETJ. The unincorporated
  areas within ETJ may then be annexed as they
  become sufficiently populated to warrant it.
• Definition and Links
• Annex Defineda policy that permits a city to add
  unincorporated areas into the citys
  jurisdiction.
• Annex defined http//www.henderson.lib.nc.us/coun
  ty/planning/projects/ccp/24_appendix_IV_glossary.h
  tml
• Annex defined http//www.audioenglish.net/dictio
  nary/annex.htm

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B. County Government
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History On Texas County GovernmentWhy Do We
Have Counties?

• Counties were historically the most important
  units of local government.
• Texas counties trace their lineage from the
  Spanish municipio.
• Municipios are city-region jurisdictions
  comprising large geographic areas that encompass
  one or more settlements and their surrounding
  rural territory.

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History On County GovernmentWhy Do We Have
Counties? (Contd)

• Under the Republic of Texas, these municipios
  became counties and thus their governmental
  structure changed to resemble the county
  organization in other southern states.
• If you are interested in the flags of six
  different nations that have flown over Texas,
  press either or both links 1 and 2.

59
History On County GovernmentWhy Do We Have
Counties? (Contd)

• Practically speaking, the sparse and largely
  rural population of Texas in the early decades
  after independence from Spain made counties the
  natural building blocks of local government.

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History On Texas CountiesWhy Do We Have
Counties? (Contd)

• When the framers of the current Texas
  Constitution met in 1875, they spent considerable
  time and attention on issues related to counties
  including creation of new counties, governmental
  organization, taxation and revenue, and other
  powers and restrictions.
• In 1875, the framers of Texas referred to
  county or counties 198 times while cities
  only received 75 mentions.

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B. Counties Focus Of Lecture

• County Governments Function
• Discussion of Its Branches Executive,
  Legislative, Judicial.
• Structure and Organization of County Government

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Functions of a County

• There are 254 counties in Texas.
• The county functions both as a general-purpose
  government and as an administrative arm of the
  state.
• Primarily, counties exist to enforce state law.
• Counties cannot pass ordinances unless authorized
  by the state.

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Functions of a County (Contd)

• It performs local functions such as parks and
  recreation.
• While counties also provide state functions such
  as issuing state automobile license tags.

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A List Of County Functions (Contd)

• Providing law enforcement
• Housing state district courts
• Providing a court system
• Constitutional Courts
• Courts At Law
• Probate Courts
• Justice of the Peace

• Securing rights-of-way for highways
• Counties administer the jail.
• Store records
• Registering births, deaths, marriages.
• Recording titles and deeds.
• Collecting some state taxes and fees.

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A List Of County Functions (Contd)These Are
Optional Powers

• Establish and maintain libraries
• Operating and maintaining parks
• Establish recreational and cultural facilities
  (such as auditoriums and convention centers

• Appoint a county historical commission
• Regulate sexually oriented businesses.
• And more.

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Counties Lack Of Authority

• County government does not have the authority to
  decide what is appropriate to protect the health
  and welfare of its citizens.
• Such issues are under the authority of the state,
  but they are rarely closely supervised by the
  state.

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Question A public park has several broken
swings that can harm childrenwho do parents seek
for help? Answer County GovernmentParks and
Recreation. An example of a county park is
Mission County Park.

• However, there are parks that are under the
  jurisdiction of the city, state, and national
  governments For example, San Pedro Springs Park
  is a San Antonio city park, Garner is a park of
  the State of Texas, and Big Ben is a national
  (federal) park .

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County Government The Executive BranchPlural
Executives

• Constables
• Tax Assessor Collector
• Treasurer
• Auditor
• Surveyor

• County Clerk
• District Clerk
• County Attorney
• District Attorney
• Sheriff

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The County Executive BranchCounty Clerk

• The county clerk is responsible for maintaining
  the records of the county courts, records of
  births and deaths, marriages and divorces, and
  transfers of property. The county clerk is
  also responsible for ensuring the ballots are
  printed and delivered to the polling places,
  staffing polling places, counting votes
  accurately, and may be responsible for
  registering voters.

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The County Executive BranchDistrict Clerk

• She/he is responsible for keeping the records of
  the state district courts.

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The County Executive Branch County Attorney

• She/he performs a variety of functions. In
  counties having only one county or district
  attorney, the official prosecutes all criminal
  cases, gives advisory opinions to county
  officials that explain their authority, and
  represents the county in civil proceedings.

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The County Executive Branch District Attorney

• If a county has both a district attorney and a
  county attorney, the district attorney
  specializes in prosecuting cases in the district
  court, while the county attorney handles lesser
  cases.

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The County Executive Branch Sheriff

• Qualifications The position has no special
  qualifications a person need only be a qualified
  voter to hold the job.
• She/he is elected to a four-year term. County
  sheriff is responsible for the enforcement of
  state law in the county and for maintaining the
  county jail.

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The County Executive Branch Constables

• They are elected from the same precincts as
  justices of the peace and serve as process
  officers of that court.
• That is, constables serve legal papers for the
  justices of the peace.

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The County Executive Branch Tax Assessor
Collector

• Qualifications The position has no special
  qualifications.She/he is elected to a four-year
  term. The primary duty of the county tax
  assessor-collector is to collect taxes, including
  the county property taxes and fees. Most people
  come into contact with the tax assessor-collector
  when they pay their automobile registration
  fees.The county tax assessor-collector is no
  longer responsible for the appraisal of property
  for the county. Every county in Texas now has a
  countywide appraisal district responsible for
  appraising all real property in the county.

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The County Executive Branch Treasurer

• The county treasurer essentially acts as the
  countys banker and is responsible for receiving
  money and paying the countys bills, keeping
  records of expenditures and revenues, and
  examining the financial records of other county
  officials that receive county funds.

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The County Executive Branch Auditor

• Counties with a population of more than 35, 000
  are required to have a county auditor appointed
  by the district judge or judges in the
  county.She/he reviews all county financial
  records and ensures that expenditures are made in
  accordance with the law. The county auditor is
  appointed for a two-year term by district judges.

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The County Executive Branch Surveyor

• The county surveyor does any survey work needed
  by the county which could be considerable amount
  of work in counties experiencing rapid growth.

79
County Government The Legislative Branch
Creates County Law

• The legislative branch of the county is the
  commissioners court.
• Each county in Texas is made up of five members
  with four county commissioners and the county
  judge.

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County Government The Legislative Branch
(Contd)

• The commissioners court is not a judicial body
  but a legislature.
• The commissioners court has limited authority.

81
County Government The Legislative Branch
(Contd)

• The commissioners court does not have direct
  control over the many elected department heads of
  county government, but it wields considerable
  influence through its budgetary power.

82
The Commissioners Court

• As stated, the Commissioners Court is made up of
  five members The county judge and four county
  commissioners.
• As a collective body, it is responsible for
  determining the countys budget and setting the
  countys property tax rate.

83
The Commissioners Court

• ELECTIONS PROCESS The county judge is elected
  at-large. However, the commissioners are elected
  via single-member districts.
• That is, each county in Texas is divided into
  four districts and each of them elects a county
  commissioner.
• Thus, the four commissioners and the county judge
  TOGETHER all serve on the commissioners court for
  the county.

84
Qualifications Function Of County Judge

• County Judge Consist of being a qualified voter
  and being well informed in the law.
• The judge presides over the commissioners court
  and votes as a member of the court.
• However, the county judge has no veto power over
  the courts actions and casts only a single vote,
  as do the four commissioners.

85
Qualifications Function Of County Judge

• As an EXECUTIVE The county judge is responsible
  for some of the daily administration of the
  county, including the administration of health
  and welfare programs, county parks, and
  libraries.
• AS A JUDGE In Rural counties the county judge
  may still conduct trials.
• In urban areas the executive functions tend to
  consume all of the county judges time, which is
  part of the reason for the creation of county
  court-at-law.

86
Qualifications Function Of County Commissioners

• A County Commissioners qualification is being a
  qualified voter.
• Each serves on the commissioners court with the
  county judge and has an equal voice in deciding
  the tax rate and setting the budget.

87
Qualifications Function Of County Commissioners

• Commissioners share responsibility for the
  administration of state and county programs with
  the county judge in each of their respective
  districts.
• Sometimes called road commissioners, their most
  traditional functions is to oversee the
  construction and maintenance of county roads and
  bridges within their separate districts.

88
County Government The Judicial Branch
Interprets County Laws

• Constitutional Court County
• Courts at Law
• Pro Bate Courts
• Justice of the PeaceFor Details, see Chapter
  The Texas Judiciary, Law, and Due Process

89
County Government The Judicial Branch
Constitutional County Court

• 254 County Courts
• Original Jurisdiction in civil matters between
  200 and 5,000.
• Original jurisdiction over 500
  misdemeanors/jail.
• Judges elected for a 4-year termalso has
  administrative responsibilities as presiding
  officer of the commissioners courtFor Details,
  see the Chapter The Texas Judiciary, Law, and
  Due Process

90
County Government The Judicial Branch
Constitutional County Court (Contd)

• Constitutional County Courts also have appellate
  jurisdiction over cases from municipal and
  justice of the peace courts.
• Very few municipal courts and there not any
  justice of the peace courts that are courts of
  records.
• For Details, see Chapter The Texas
  Judiciary, Law, and Due Process

91
County Government The Judicial Branch
Constitutional County Court (Contd)

• Courts of record means that there is not a
  transcript of the trial. Without a transcript,
  there is not any record of the proceedings for
  the appellate court to review for procedural
  and/or constitutional violations.
• As a result, appeals from most municipal courts
  and all justice of the peace courts are heard de
  novowhich essentially means that the trial is
  conducted anew. For Details, see Chapter
  The Texas Judiciary, Law, and Due Process

92
County Government The Judicial Branch Courts
at Law

• 195 County Courts at Law
• Limited jurisdiction over civil matters less than
  100,000
• criminal misdemeanors.
• Judges are elected
• Appeals de novo from lower courts or on the
  record from municipal courts of record.
• De novo means a new trial conducted in a higher
  court.For Details, see Chapter The Texas
  Judiciary, Law, and Due Process

93
County Government The Judicial Branch Pro Bate
Courts

• 16 Probate Courts.
• Limited to Probate Matters Probate is a
  procedure to prove the validity of a will.
• Judges are elected. For Details, see Chapter
  The Texas Judiciary, Law, and Due Process

94
County Government The Judicial Branch Justice
of the Peace

• Have criminal jurisdiction in class C
  misdemeanors with fines up to 500E.G., theft
  under 20, smoking on a public elevator, indecent
  exposure
• Have civil jurisdiction in cases involving less
  than 5,000
• Small Claims
• Judges are elected4-year term (County
  Commissioners determine number of justices
  elected based on population.
• Judges only qualification is to be a registered
  voter.
• For Details, see Chapter The Texas Judiciary,
  Law, and Due Process

95
County Revenue Sources
0

• Sales Tax
• Property Tax
• Revenue Fees

96
County Revenue Sources

• Sales Tax

• But only in a county that is not part of a
  metropolitan area with a metropolitan transit
  authority that collects a sales tax.

97
County Revenue Sources

• Property Tax

• Counties have relied heavily on the property tax
  to fund the myriad services they provide.

98
County Revenue Sources

• Revenue Fees

• For example, in the area of criminal justicesuch
  as court fee collections.
• Another example is the motor vehicle registration
  fees (here, however, counties collect the
  state-imposed fees and send the money to Austin,
  retaining only a small portion allowed for county
  overhead.).

99
C. Special Districts
100
C. Special Districts Function

• There are over 3,000 special districts in Texas.
  
• Special districts are local governments which
  usually perform a single service not provided by
  county or municipal (AKA, city) governments.
• Whereas state, county, and city governments are
  multifunctional, a special district usually
  performs just one function.
• Special Districts provide a service that the
  county or city will not or cannot provide.

101
C. Special Districts Function continued

• An example of a special district servicing an
  area
• In a suburban area outside the city limits, a
  special district may be established to provide
  water and sewer facilities for a housing
  development.
• In this example, this type of special district
  would have the authority to borrow to build the
  system and may assess taxes and user fees on
  property owners and residents.

102
C. Reasons For Special Districts

• Special districts create a governing board of
  appointed or elected members who have the
  expertise to focus on the specific community
  needs and issues the special district is
  addressing.
• Special districts allow municipalities and
  counties to focus more on general government
  issues.
• Special districts ensure accountability of public
  resources, since special districts are held to
  the same high standards as municipalities and
  counties. Courtesy of Florida Special District
  Online Handbook, press link http//www.floridaspe
  cialdistricts.org/Handbook/1-1Introduction.cfm

103
C. Reasons For Special Districts continued

• Special districts protect property values by
  assuring property owners that their roads, water
  and sewer lines, and other essential facilities
  and services will continue to be maintained.
• Special districts save money for affected
  citizens by selling tax-exempt bonds, purchasing
  essential goods and services tax-free, and
  participating in state programs and initiatives,
  such as state-term contracting and purchasing
  commodities and certain contractual services from
  the purchasing agreements of other special
  districts, municipalities, or counties.
• Courtesy of Florida Special District Online
  Handbook, press link http//www.floridaspecialdis
  tricts.org/Handbook/1-1Introduction.cfm

104
C. Special Districts Are Not Dependent Agencies

• A dependent agency is a government entity that
  is closely tied to general-purpose governments.
  Dependence agencies do not have the independence
  of special districts.
• An example of a dependent agency is a
  crime-control and prevention district, which is
  subject to voter approval and remains in
  existence for only a designated number of years
  unless the voters approve an extension.

105
EXAMPLES OF CONSTITUTIONAL SPECIAL DISTRICTS

• Road district
• School district
• Junior college district
• Hospital district
• Airport authority
• Courtesy of OConnor et al, 2009511

• Travis County Road District no.1
• San Antonio Independent School District.
• Alamo Colleges
• Tarrant County Hospital District
• Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Authority

106
EXAMPLES OF STATUTORY SPECIAL DISTRICTS

• Sports facility district
• Municipal utility district (MUD)
• Metropolitan transit authority
• Municipal power agency
• River authority
• Courtesy of OConnor et al, 2009511

• Nueces County Sports Facility District
• Circle C MUD No.3
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority
• Texas Municipal Power Agency
• Brazos River Authority

107
C. Special Districts Revenue Sources

• Most special districts have the power to borrow
  money, tax, and impose user fees.

108
C. Special Districts Numerous

• The most prevalent of all local governments in
  Texas.
• They are also the most invisible.

109
Question 50 parents of elementary school-age
children have a serious concern with the uniform
of a particular schoolwhere do the parents seek
help?

• Answer A Special District Governmentthe school
  board

110
II. Council of Governments (COG)
111
II. Councils of Governments (COGs) Function

• A COG is a voluntary grouping of governments.
• A COG is not another government.
• A COGs has no jurisdiction over various local
  governments.

112
II. COGs Function (Contd)

• Councils of governments are mainly concerned with
  promoting rational planning on a regional basis,
  in providing technical services, and giving help
  in applying for grants.

113
II. COGs Function (Contd)

• COGsthese regional planning councils that are
  consortiums of local governmentsare established
  directly in the Texas Constitution, while some
  are established in statue.
• COGs have proved acceptable because they pose no
  threat to existing governments and they provide a
  regional forum where elected officials can meet
  and discuss common problems.

114
II. EXAMPLE OF NAMES OF TEXAS COGs

• NAMES
• Alamo Area Council of Governments
• Ark-Tex Council of Governments
• Brazos Valley Council of Governments
• Courtesy of Texas Association of Regional
  Councils( TARC), press link http//www.txregional
  council.org/display.php?pageregions_map.php

• WEB ADDRESSES
• www.aacog.com
• www.atcog.org
• www.bvcog.org
• Courtesy of Texas Association of Regional
  Councils( TARC), press link http//www.txregional
  council.org/display.php?pageregions_map.php

115
II. EXAMPLES OF COGs ACTIVITES

• Regional services offered by councils of
  governments are varied and include
• planning and implementing regional homeland
  security strategies
• operating law enforcement training academies
• providing cooperative purchasing options for
  governments
• managing region-wide services to the elderly
• maintaining and improving regional 9-1-1 systems
  
• promoting regional economic development
• operating specialized transit systems and
• providing management services for member
  governments.
• Courtesy of Texas Association of Regional
  Councils( TARC), press link http//www.txregional
  council.org/display.php?pageabout_tarc.php

116
II. Council of Governments Focus

• By bringing local officials together, COGs
  provide a base for the exchange of ideas and
  knowledge.
• Although COGs do not solve the problems facing
  locale governments, they do encourage local
  officials to recognize the magnitude of these
  problems and cooperate in managing some of them

117
AN OUTCOME OF A COGS INVOLVEMENT

• The first rapid transit authority in Texas, the
  Dallas Area Rapid-Transit Authority (DART), came
  about from work initially undertaken by the North
  Texas Council of Governments.

118
Review
0

• Local governments3 Types
• Municipal Governments(Also Known As, City
  governments)
• County Governments
• Special Districts
• Council of Governments (COGs)

119
Review Example San Antonio, Texas

• Three Branches of Government Handout, press link
  
• http//www.alamo.edu/sac/gov/smith/2301Trad/3branc
  hesgovt.htm

120
0

• This concludes a study on the
• Texas local government.

121
REFERENCE

• Schmidt , S. W., Shelley, M. C., Bardes, B. A.,
  Maxwell, W. E., Crain, E., Santos, A.
  (2009-2010 Texas Edition). American Government
  and Politics Today. Boston MA. Wadsworth.
• OConnor, K., Sabato, L.J., Yanus, A. B., Keith,
  G. A., Haag, S. D. (2009). Essentials of
  American Texas Government. New York NY.
  Longman.
• APA CITATION STYLE