City (Municipal) Government Structure 

It’s inevitable that many Americans are very aware, intune with, and pay a lot of attention to National Politics, so when you ask a child or any adult who the current president of the United States is, I can  guarantee that a large proportion of them would get it correct. On the other hand, if you were to ask these same people who their city/town mayor or city manager is and an overwhelming number of these people wouldn’t have the slightest idea of who is their current local figurehead (go ahead and ask yourself). 

I didn’t state this to make you feel bad, but I did state it to shed some light on this hard truth. Look I totally understand, federal government has all the drama, glitz and glam and major news coverage, it’s almost like watching reality t.v., but it is imperative that we all begin to value, be on high alert, and have a good understanding of local political systems. Because let’s be real it is local governmental decisions that impact your daily life. So, not only will I be breaking down common municipal structures I also will be explaining why you should start turning your focus toward what is happening locally more than nationally. I say unto you “Think globally, but Act locally”. 

Difference Between the Federal Government vs Municipal Government 

Before we begin to break down local government we must first take a trip down memory lane to 12th grade government class. The real difference between federal government and municipal government are the following:

1.  The federal government supersedes state governments which in turn supersedes local governments. So, the federal government and state governments share power in countless ways, while local governments must be granted power by the state.
2. The Federal government encompasses the entire country whereas a local government has jurisdiction only over said town or city. 
3. The Federal government’s sphere of influence is widespread whereas the sphere of influence city government has is very limited. 
4. The Federal government obtains its money that it spends through the means of taxation. Roughly 80% of revenue comes from the individual income tax and the payroll taxes that fund social insurance programs. Another 9% comes from the corporate income tax, and the rest is from a mix of sources. For both state and local governments, the property taxes that its citizens pay make up the largest category of revenue at thirty-five percent. Then sales and gross receipts make up approximately thirty-four percent. Lastly, the corporate income tax is the smallest at a mere three percent of the money taken in.
5. One of the biggest differences is with regards to annual budgets. Local governments are required by law to balance their budgets so that they are never spending more than what they bring in. However, the federal government is allowed to run a deficit and to borrow money to meet its obligations. Which means that the government can spend more than it brings in revenue.

National/Federal Government Structure

The United States Constitution divides the federal government into three branches to make sure no individual or group will have too much power. This is referred to as checks and balances. The three branches are as such:

1. Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate)
2. Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies)
3. Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)

Legislative Branch 

The legislative branch drafts proposed laws, confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court, and has the authority to declare war. This branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and special agencies and offices that provide support services to Congress. American citizens have the right to vote for Senators and Representatives through free, confidential ballots.

Executive Branch

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees, and Americans have the right to vote for the president and vice president through free, confidential ballots.

 

• President—The president leads the country and is what I like to call a figurehead. The two true powers that the president has is the power to veto and more importantly the president has the power to influence. 
• Vice president—The vice president supports the president. If the president is unable to serve, the vice president becomes president. 
• The Cabinet—Cabinet members serve as advisors to the president. They include the vice president, heads of executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials.

Judicial Branch 

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. It is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Local/Municipal Government Structure

Now, that we have all gone back down memory lane and felt like we were sitting in our 12th grade government class. Lets’ now get to the section we all have been waiting for (this is clearly sarcasm) and that is to break down the local political structure. First, although I have been referring to local government as cities or towns it’s very important to note that local governments are broken down between cities/towns and counties, which are sometimes called boroughs in some states (but for sake of not making this too convoluted I will keep saying city for local government). 

Now that that is squared away lets break down the three forms of local government. 

Council – Manager

This is the most common form of local government and it entails City Council overseeing the general administration of the city, while making policy, and setting the budget. Additionally, the Council members are responsible for appointing a professional city manager to carry out day-to-day administrative operations (almost like the cabinet). Often the mayor is chosen from among the council on a rotating basis.

Mayor – Council

This is the second most common form of local government in the U.S. and it includes the Mayor being elected separately from the council members. It is important to note that the mayor’s position is often full-time and paid, and he/she has significant administrative and budgetary authority. However, depending on the municipal charter, the mayor could have weak or strong powers, but the City Council is elected and maintains legislative powers. Nonetheless, some cities appoint a professional manager who maintains limited administrative authority.

 

Commission 

This is the oldest form of local government, and only exists in less than 1% of cities today. This form of government entails voters electing individual commissioners to a small governing board. Each commissioner is responsible for one specific aspect, such as fire, police, public works, health, finance, but one commissioner is designated as chairman or mayor, who presides over meetings. It is important to understand with this form of government the commission has both legislative and executive functions.

Why is Important to Focus Your Attention to Local Government

I cannot stress enough the importance of local government and why you should be focusing more of your energy towards what is happening at home. But, if you need convincing do not fret. 

1. Local politics is what really affects your everyday life in more ways than one. For example, let’s say the new fiscal year is quickly approaching and you live in a California city that is always plagued with brush fires, but you hear that your City Council members are thinking of shifting the budget around to allocate more funds towards art projects instead of towards the Fire Department. Thus, meaning the layoff of many firemen. This decision will most definitely impact you, your family and friends and the entire community. It would be like your local officials are putting you directly in harm’s way for some artwork right? Now, this example is a little extreme and I would hope that something like this never occurs, however, you must be in tune with your council members and know what they plan on doing with the money that you as a citizen contributed by way of property taxes.  
2. Your City Council members, City Manager, and Commission members act as your first line of government. They should be and are the most accessible part of government to the average citizen. Unless you are a highly important person or celebrity there will more than likely never be a time where you can just call up the president or his staff to voice your concerns, but guess what with local politics you can do just that. They are the faces you can actually talk to regarding any issues in your city or town and their numbers and/or emails are public information.
3. It is sad to say but at the national level we have steered so far away from the intent of the “Preamble”. You might be like what are you talking about? But, think back to 8th grade history where your teacher made you watch the animated educational musical show Schoolhouse Rock. I will never forget one of the most important episodes that dealt with the Preamble. If you don’t remember this episode it aired in 1975 well before I was even a twinkle in my pops eyes but here I was decades later watching it. In this segment, we were taught the history of the preamble in the form of a song. Now, if you do not remember the preamble let me refresh your memory and it goes a little something like this. 

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”

You may be asking why this is important and who cares about Schoolhouse Rock. Well, the first few words are monumental. “We the People”. We the people are the government and the government is us. However, when looking at National politics this can almost be further from the truth we have steered so far away from the intent of the Preamble government on the national level has become inaccessible and too large, but your local government hasn’t! They have not steered away from realizing they are working for you and at the top of each municipal organizational chart Citizen/Public is at the top of the hierarchical chart, and if this is not the case you have more than enough power to change that on a local level. 

1. Local politics and local issues often set the precedent for political moves on the state and national level.L If you’re concerned about a specific issue, chances are others in your state and the nation are feeling the same way. For instance, the poorest localities were hit hardest by the recent economic crisis. Still, many of those towns rallied to create new industry and effect change on the local level to solve their problems.
2. Local politics, especially at the state level, determine what happens in schools. Education has played a central role in the health of American culture for some time, and many agree that our schools are in dire straits. Parents and teachers don’t often know what to do about this, but they should know that their local systems have built into th
3. em safeguards to protect education. If you’re not happy with state-funded education, the first place to start can be local school board elections.
4. The easiest place to change laws you don’t like is with the local and state government. Luckily, our localities have the ability to change law by petition, and although many cities and localities may try to battle this, slowing average citizens by using a mountain of administrative red tape, eventually, anything with enough support will be given a place on the state or local ballot.
5. Think globally, act locally. The impact local politics has on us and our regular, day-to-day lives is clear. However, for whatever reasons, people are still reluctant to become involved or even interested in local politics. But you must not give up, even if you feel  local change may take a while to trickle up to the federal government, the possibilities we create when we take a stand locally can create many ripples that actually affect the world.

Conclusion 

I hope I was able to convince you to start paying attention to what is going on at home politically wise. This is your first line of defense and the small feats at a local level can have a tremendous impact down the road on a national or global level. More importantly, it is important to remember that if things occur locally and you are not an active or engaged participant, you have no right to complain. It is our duty to ensure that we are not only looking out for our best interest, but the interest of those who are not yet here. So, start getting to know your mayor, city manager, and council members. I even encourage you all to get to know who your Planning Director is because he/she will be able to provide you with information of where the city is going development wise. 

If you found this blog helpful please do not hesitate to let me know by reading the next blog. Additionally, if you have any questions, comments and or concerns please do not hesitate to contact the Friendly Neighborhood Planner.