The different forms of Government in Charlotte- Mecklenburg Comité de la Comunidad Inmigrante –2019 How many governments are there? • Federal • State • Mecklenburg County • City of Charlotte • CMS What does the federal government do? • Identification: Passports for its residents • Law Enforcement: FBI, CIA, US Marshalls, ICE, etc. • Taxes: income, employment • Other: citizenship, visas What does state government do? • Identification: Driver ’s license • Law Enforcement: ALE, highway Patrol, SBI • Taxes: sales, vehicle • Otro: Departament of Labor, State Court Local government oversight In North Carolina, local governments operate under authority granted by individual State statutes (Dillon’s Rule) What do city and county governments do? • Identification: Birth and Death certificates (County) • Law Enforcement: Sheriff (County), CMPD (City) • Taxes: sales, property • Other: airport (City), parks (County), jail (County) Local government responsibilities Mecklenburg County City of Charlotte • Health • Police • Mental Health • Fire • Social Services • Water/Sewer • Sheriff/Jails • Roads • Park and Recreation • Solid Waste • Environment • CATS • • Library Airport • Zoning • CPCC • Housing & Neighborhood • CMS Services • Economic Development • Economic Development (County) (City) What form of government does Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte have? (Q3) council-manager organizational structure VOTERS COUNCIL MANAGER DEPARTMENT HEADS Roles and Responsibilities Council-Manager form of government • City Council makes policy decisions and provides direction to the City Manager • City Manager implements and administers those decisions History of Form • Early 19th-20th century movement to rid municipalities of spoils system and implement scientific method Professional Managers: • Are trained in the business of managing government and its resources • Maintain political neutrality • Bring a community-wide perspective to policies and programs. • Work with elected officials to develop policies and programs • Manage government staff, budgets, programs, and projects • Ensuring laws and policies are enforced fairly and government runs ethically and transparently Roles and Responsibilities Mayor • Ceremonial head of government • Presides over City Council meetings • Generally, only votes in case of a tie • Has veto power Mayor Pro Tem • Selected by City Council • In absence of the Mayor, possesses all of the powers of the Mayor with the exception of veto power Roles and Responsibilities Continued City Council • Legislative body, responsible for approving all policies and ordinances before they become law • Appoints the City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney • Supports communication, engagement, and representation City Manager • Administrative head of the City government • Directs and supervises all City departments • Appoints and directs all City employees with the exception of those appointed by the Council • Makes policy recommendations • Prepares/submits the annual operating budget and Community Investment Plan Thank you! Federico Rios Housing & Neighborhood Services [email protected] 704.651.4661.