Section 1- Part 2 Flashcards
Types of Governmental Entities
GSJN
- General Purpose
- Special Purpose
- Jointly governed Organizations
- Number of governmental entities
General Purpose Entities
Entity at the national, state or local level that provides a broad range of services.
Special Purpose Government
Special-purpose governments are organized for a single purpose or a few closely related purposes. Examples are school districts and conservation districts.
Ordinance
Law enacted by a legislative body below the state level, such as a county, city or town
Jointly Governed Organizations
They coordinate provision of services among two or more government entities and are often led by a board comprised of officials from the cooperating governments.
Number of Government Entities
More than 90,000
US Census- 90,126 Governmental entities:
1) One national
2) 50 State
3) 90,075 Local
General Purpose- County
A common governance structure for a county is an elected board of supervisors
General-purpose county governments are found in most states. The parish governments in Louisiana and borough governments in Alaska are comparable to counties in other states. Counties are formed under provisions in state constitutions or statutes. Some major cities are considered to be separate from their adjacent counties (the cities do not reside in any county).
General Purpose- Municipality
This general-purpose category includes entities commonly referred to as cities, towns, boroughs and villages. The definition is broad—one way to define municipality is “a general-purpose local government that is not a county or township.”
GP Muni- State
The size, definition and governance of a municipality varies from state to state.
The most common governance forms are council-manager and mayor governments. In the council-manager model, a group of elected officials (the council) appoint a professional city manager to carry out their instructions.
General Purpose- Township
These general-purpose governments have both geographical and historical roots.
Ex:Typical services provided by townships include cemeteries, child welfare and trash removal.
Special Purpose- School District
Among all the reasons for which special-purpose governments may be formed, the primary purpose is to provide elementary, secondary and/or higher education.
Whether dependent or independent, most school districts are governed by an elected school board. The board typically appoints a professional superintendent.
Special Purpose- Special District (Non-School)
Like independent school districts, these special-purpose governments are distinct entities with substantial administrative and fiscal autonomy. They may be referred to as districts or authorities, such as “port authority.” But be cautioned that some agencies that operate under the title of “district” or “authority” are actually administrative units of general-purpose governments. The parent, general-purpose government that creates special districts may grant them authority to levy taxes and issue debt.
Examples of Special District Governments
Water districts
Conservation districts Healthcare districts
Airport authorities Port authorities
Hospital authorities Housing authorities Natural gas districts Drainage districts
Ambulance districts
Fire protection districts Mass Transit Cemeteries
Mosquito Abatement districts
Special District Governments- What accounts for them?
- demand for new, specialized services not offered by the parent government;
- ability to circumvent debt and tax limitations—the general-purpose government may be prohibited by statute from taking on new debt or certain forms of debt, while the special-purpose government has more financing options; and
- managerial flexibility—the new district may not be subject to the same personnel and procurement rules as found in general-purpose government.
