City Government Why It Matters Have students preview the chart that BEFORE YOU READ TAKING As you read, shows four types of city government on NOTES take notes on page 236. Ask students to name the city The Main Idea Reading Focus Key Terms the different forms of city government. Use a diagram like in which they live, or a city near them. A city is usually larger 1. How are city governments home rule, p. 234 this one to record your notes. Ask students if they know how the city than a town or village. organized under the home- city council, p. 235 In many cities a large rule system? mayor, p. 235 is governed. Explain that knowing how 2. population is crowded What are the different forms commission, p. 237 a city’s government is organized would into a relatively small of city government? Forms of City be helpful if they wished to contact an area, which creates Governments many challenges for city offi cial about an issue. As students read, government. ask them to create a list of city offi cials and what they do. Explain that this list will help them know which offi ce to contact when specifi c problems arise. City government can get very big. Academic Vocabulary New York City, for example, has nearly Review with students the high-use academic 9,000 sanitation workers alone. The Los Angeles Police Department term in this section. employs 12,500 people. These departments are the size primary main, most important (p. 235) of many small towns. To provide good service, a city Key Terms must be organized in an effi cient manner. Preteach the following terms: Home Rule Organization home rule authority of a city to write and A city is generally the largest kind of munici- amend its own municipal charter (p. 234) pality. Cities vary greatly, however, in size. city council legislative body of a city’s New York City, for example, has a popula- government (p. 235) tion of more than 8 million. On the other mayor city’s chief executive offi cer (p. 235) hand, the city of Parker, Pennsylvania, has commission three to nine elected offi cials only 799 people. who act as a city’s legislative body (p. 237) Traditionally, cities received their char- ters and their authority from the state leg- Taking Notes islature. Increasingly, however, states have been granting to cities an authority called home rule Weak Strong . Under home rule, a city can mayor mayor write and amend its own municipal charter. This charter, usually written by a commis- sion, must be approved by the voters. Forms of City READING CHECK Making Predictions Does Governments A city may be small, like Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, or home rule strengthen or weaken local governments? huge like New York City. Explain your answer. Commission Council- 234 manager CHAPTER 9 Teach the Main Idea At Level City Government 1. Teach Ask students the Reading Focus 3. Review Have students sort their pictures by questions to teach this section. category and tape or paste them to a sheet of 2. Apply Tell students that they will create paper or poster board to make a collage. collages titled City . Ask students to defi ne 4. Practice/Homework Ask students to the term at the top of a poster board. Then write captions for each picture in their have them cut out pictures from magazines collage. Encourage them to explain the Answers that illustrate city offi cials or services. different forms of city government through their captions. Reading Check Possible answer: It strengthens local government because a city can write and amend its charter the way it wishes. 234 City officials can Community Meeting explain various issues at community The decisions of city governments can have a huge meetings. impact on citizens. City governments deal with a large numBer of issues, including Building roads, providing police and fire production, regulating Reading Focus Business and industry, and collecting taxes. In order to get the puBlic’s feedBack on important issues, city governments often hold community How are city governments organized meetings. Citizens are given the opportunity to under the home rule system? ask their elected officials questions and give their opinions on the issues facing the city. Home Rule Organization Why is it important for citizens to attend community meetings? Recall What is the population of New York City? more than 8 million Community meetings people are a good forum for Contrast citizens to express What is the difference their opinions. between the charter of a city that is under home rule and the charter of a city that is not under home rule? Cities under home rule can write and amend Forms of City Government Weak-Mayor Plan During the country’s early their charters, while those that are not years, Americans remembered British gover- under home rule receive their charters Cities manage a variety of responsibilities, such as nors who had abused their powers. For this providing education, health, and safety to their reason, some cities developed the weak-mayor from the state legislature. residents. Transportation systems, sanitation, plan to limit the power of the mayor. Under water supplies, and fi re and police protection the weak-mayor plan, the city council holds are also part of the daily business of city govern- more power than the mayor. For example, the Reading Focus ments. A city government usually is organized council appoints the city department heads, in one of four ways. Depending on its charter, who report directly to the city council rather the city will have a mayor-council government, than to the mayor. What are the different forms of city a strong-mayor government, a commission gov- government? ernment, or a council-manager government. Strong-Mayor Plan Recently, many city gov- Forms of City Government Mayor-Council Government ernments using the mayor-council form of government have adopted a strong-mayor The oldest and most common form of city Describe How is the commission plan of city government. Under the strong- government is the mayor-council govern- form of city government structured? A mayor plan, the mayor is the city’s chief exec- ment. In this kind of government, the utive offi cer and has the primary responsi- commission of elected offi cials acts as city council is the legislative body, while the ACADEMIC bility for running the city’s government. For the city’s legislative body; each com- mayor is the city’s chief executive offi cer. VOCABULARY example, the mayor appoints most of the city missioner also leads a department of In mayor-council governments, a city primary: main, offi cials. He or she usually also prepares the city government. may be divided into several districts, often most important city budget. In some cities, the mayor can called wards. The people of each ward elect Rank Which form of city government also veto ordinances passed by the city coun- one person to represent them in a city coun- do you think is best? Why? Students’ cil. Because executive power is concentrated cil. In some cities, several council members in the mayor, many people think that the answers will vary but should show at large are elected by all the voters in the strong-mayor plan is more effi cient than the understanding of different forms of city, rather than just the voters of one ward. weak-mayor form. city government. Usually the mayor is also elected at large. Graphic Organizer Activities: Chapter 9 235 Simulations and Case Studies: Lesson 9: LOCAL GOVERNMENT Oakville City Council Meeting on Banning Smoking in Public Places Differentiating Instruction Below Level Learners Having Diffi culty Create a Graphic Organizer 3. Have students complete the organizer to 1. Organize students into small groups. explain how city governments are established. Then ask them to write a defi nition of home 2. Copy the following graphic organizer on the rule in their own words. VerBal/Linguistic, board, omitting the italicized answers: Visual/Spatial The state Alternative Assessment Handbook: Rubric 13: A charter How City gives the city Graphic Organizers is granted Governments permission to by state Are write its own government. Established charter under Answers home rule. (photo) so they can give elected officials feedback on the issues facing the city 235 4 Structures of Local Government Analyze Charts American city governments have four different structures. The weak-mayor system dates back to colonial days and, as cities grew, was mostly replaced by the strong- This chart explains the four structures of mayor system. The commission and council-manager plans are closely related. local government in American cities. Compare How are the commission and council-manager structures similar? Possible answer: Both may have city council members running city departments. Mayor-Council Council- Mayor-Council (Strong Mayor) Commission Manager Contrast How are the strong and (Weak Mayor) In the strong-mayor plan, the In the commission plan, each In cities with a council- weak mayor-council structures dif- In the weak-mayor plan, the mayor has veto power on the council member is in charge manager plan, like Oklahoma ferent? In weak mayor, the vote of the mayor has equal voting power decisions of the council. Mayors of a different city department. City, Oklahoma, a city with all the members of the also appoint city officials and The mayor’s vote carries the manager is appointed by mayor is equal to the votes of council council. A weak mayor’s vote, have power over the city budget. same weight as each of the the city council to run city members.