Role of Local Government in GA

The Role of Local Government in Georgia

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• I can explain the origins and purposes of city, county, and special-purpose governments in Georgia.

• I can describe how local government is funded and how spending decisions are made.

​County Government & Commissioners

• States determine the structure and purpose of their local governments.

• For purposes of local government, Georgia's Constitution establishes units called counties.

  • When Georgia’s first state constitution was approved in 1777, it divided Georgia into only eight counties.

  • Today the state has 159 counties — more than any other state except Texas!

  • A county government is headquartered in the county seat, which is usually the most populous city.

​County Government & Commissioners

• Laws passed by the General Assembly in accordance with the Georgia Constitution determine the governing authority in Georgia’s counties.

• Either an elected board of commissioners or, in smaller counties, a single elected commissioner, governs each county.

• However, the Georgia Constitution requires the election of certain other officials for each county, including:

  • a sheriff - enforces state & local laws

  • a tax commissioner - ensures that the county is collecting all of the taxes owed for local & state programs

  • a superior court clerk - the official record-keeper for civil & criminal trials

  • a probate court judge - deals with non-criminal matters like guardianships, marriages & wills

Multiple Select

Who governs a county? (Choose 2)

• an elected board of commissioners

• the local chief of police

• an elected group of educators

• a single elected commissioner

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an elected constitutional officer in each of Georgia's counties?

• Governor

• Probate court judge

• Sheriff

• Tax Commissioner

• Superior court clerk

​County Government Helps State Government

• One original purpose of Georgia’s counties was to determine what areas state legislators represented.

  • Counties also had local courts and helped manage government records.

  • Over the years, counties began taking on more services and functions for the public.

• Today, counties are the center of political life in most of Georgia.

  • A Georgia county government may collect property taxes, run local elections, build and repair roads, provide car license plates, and administer welfare programs, just to name a few services.

• Even more services were assigned to county governments by the state constitution approved in 1983.

​County Government Helps State Government

• As part of providing local services, county governments coordinate with state government agencies to administer state programs.

  • For example, every county in Georgia has courthouses and voter registration offices.

  • The counties sell motor vehicle tags, keep records of property ownership, validate citizens’ wills, and run public assistance programs.

  • All of these services support Georgia’s state-run programs.

• County governments must follow the requirements set by the state government.

  • For example, the state sets guidelines for elections, and the county offices manage elections according to these guidelines.

​Coweta County Courthouse in downtown Newnan

​City Government

• Municipalities, such as cities, are also local governing units in Georgia.

  • Cities are typically smaller than counties; one county might contain numerous cities.

• The General Assembly grants a city a charter that states that city’s boundaries and form of government.

• In Georgia, most city governments are led by a mayor and a city council or commission.

• Georgia has more than 500 cities!

  • Early Georgia cities were created in areas that served as important trade centers.

  • In recent decades, several cities have been created in densely populated suburban areas such as Sandy Springs and Dunwoody.

​City Government

• The purpose of a city government is to provide local services either not handled by the county government, or above and beyond county services.

  • Just a few of the city functions and services in Georgia are police and fire protection, garbage collection, drinking water, public transportation, and public health.

• Since cities are located within counties, city and county governments must reach agreements about which government will provide certain services to county residents who live within a city to avoid costly duplication.

  • For example, Fulton County, the city of Atlanta, and some other cities in Fulton County have water departments. The city of Atlanta and other cities in Fulton County provide water to their residents, while Fulton County provides water to people who live in the county but outside of cities that provide water.

Categorize

Options (5)

Boundaries are established by the GA Constitution.

GA General Assembly grants a charter to establish boundaries.

Government is run by a mayor or city manager.

Government is run by a board of cimmissioners or single commissioner.

Work with the state government to administer state programs.

Decide if these statements describe a county government or a city government

County Government

City Government

Multiple Choice

How are city and county governments similar?

• They both have the same origins.

• They both have the same forms of government/structure.

• They both serve the purpose of providing local services.

Multiple Choice

How are city and county governments different?

• One provides local services, and the other deals with bigger issues/national affairs.

• One is funded, and the other is made up of volunteers.

• Their origins and forms of government/structure differ.

Multiple Choice

How might the services provided by city governments have influenced the changes to the list of services that counties provide?

• Those living outside the city limits wanted the same level of services that city residents have.

• Those living outside the city limits did not want the same level of services that city residents have.

​Special-Purpose Government

• Georgia's Constitution and laws also authorize another form of local government known as a special-purpose government.

  • They are also sometimes called special-purpose districts or authorities.

• These governments are set up by a cities and counties to meet specific needs and often run by a board of non-elected officials.

  • Examples include operating public schools, a mass transit system (such as MARTA in Atlanta), an airport, or a water and sewer system.

• Special-purpose governments can also be established in a city to advance economic development.

  • One example is an authority set up to revitalize an old downtown district.

​Special-Purpose Government

• Many forms of special-purpose governments are funded by loans or user fees instead of taxes.

  • however, some types may be funded with taxes

• Special-purpose governments are helpful because they:

  • can be flexible

  • concentrate on a single need

  • provide services across city or county lines

• ​Coweta County has special-purpose governments:

  • Coweta County Water & Sewage Authority - manages & maintains the water & sewage system

  • SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Salex Tax) - used the funds raised from the tax to repair roads, improve schools & other infrastructure

Multiple Choice

True or False: Special-purpose districts or authorities focus on a specific need in a community.

• True

• False

Match

Match the following types of local governments to its description

• GA has 159; each has four elected constitutional officers (sheriff, tax commissioner, superior court clerk & probate court judge)

• focus on a specific need; MARTA is an example

• led by mayors or city managers; many have been created in densely populated suburban areas in recent decades in GA

county

special-purpose

city

• county

• special-purpose

• city