Municipalities

Local Council and Municipalities

From the largest cities to the smallest towns and villages, municipal governments in the U.S. serve as the closest form of government to the people. Across municipal governments, you will find great variety in their structures, functions, and in the services they provide. But, big to small, these examples of local government have much in common and provide their residents with the greatest opportunities for engagement.

Keeping it Local

Municipality

Municipality is often used as an umbrella term for the level of local government that includes cities, towns and towns. All of these forms of municipalities get their powers and boundaries from the state. In some cases, the state creates the town. In other cases, the town will create a charter, legal document that establishes a municipality, and seek approval from the state before it can be formed. Communities without charters lack a local government of their own, and fall under the administration of a a nearby town or the county.

What distinguishes a city from a town from a village really depends on its location and regional traditions. States tend to set up their own definitions based on population, type of government structure, whether the municipality is urban or suburban, and the amount of services it offers its citizens.
Boom Town/Ghost Town—The population of a municipality is always in flux. Some towns start small, but over the years can grow. Other towns or villages may decline due to economic or environmental factors, empty out, and turn into ghost towns.

Cities, Towns, and Villages

Structure and Functions

Each municipality has a charter that defines organizational structure, powers, and basic procedures of the government. There are five basic forms of government: Council-Manager, Mayor-Council, Commission, Town Meeting, and Representative Town Meeting. The Council-Manager form looks like a business, while the Mayor-Council is more reflective of how Congress and the president work with each other. If your locality doesn’t fit into one of these categories, it’s likely to have a blend of the two.

The City of Dallas uses a Council-Manager form of government. Councils work with project managers to gather information about proposals.

The weak-mayor plan gives the role of the mayor little executive power, leaving the majority of legislative and executive powers to the council. In the weak-mayor plan, the mayor is often chosen by the council rather than the people.

The strong-mayor plan looks more like what we see with the president and Congress. Here, the mayor is elected by the people, has executive responsibilities, and appoints city officials to serve in the government.

Weak Mayor/Strong Mayor

Municipalities are the ones tasked with carrying out many of their citizen's services:
Utilities: include services like gas, electric, water, waste water treatment, and garbage removal. Some are owned by the city, others are contracted through private companies.
Education: Local Boards run the school districts. Public schools to community college.
Public Safety: Police, firefighters, first responders
Public Health and Welfare: Housing, health code inspections, health records
Land Use Management: city planning and growth

​

Municipal Services

Getting Involved

Show up: Community meetings can range from large town hall meetings to smaller focus groups, all held with the intent of hearing from the community on a range of issues. Opinions are offered from elected officials and residents alike.
Talk to Local Officials: Few of us can travel to the state capitol to have a chat with our representatives in the state or federal government. But it’s very likely that members of your town council, school board, or even the staff at the mayor’s office are only a short drive away. Set up an appointment, introduce yourself as a constituent, and have a conversation about the issues that matter to you.
Head to the Ballot Box: Local elections tend to receive very low voter turnout when compared to the more publicized federal and state elections. Some people don’t even bother to look at the local offices. But it is here where your vote can make major impact.
Run for Office: Local government is full of career options, some elected some not. Learn more about the positions that make up your government and see how you can get involved. Most municipalities let you run for office as soon as you turn 18. If you want to volunteer or apply for a job, you may be able to start even sooner.

Open Ended

Which approach suits you best? After reading through the methods on this page, which would you feel most comfortable participating in? Explain your choice.