of water. It must be tested to make certain it is pure. It should be supplied at as low a cost as possible. Our local governments help to care for sick and other persons who cannot care for themselves. They look after boys and girls who are beginning to develop wrong habits. They often establish parks, gardens, and playgrounds where the people may come to rest or play after work hours. These things help to make the community a better place in which to live. Your group will want to talk about the play places in your community, if it has any; or, if it has not, why not? OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PLAN FOR YEARS TO COME Many communities have grown without any plan for the future. It is better for the health and comfort of the people to plan for the growth of their community. There is a real need in every community for a group who will make plans for its growth. A planning group may arrange for better ways of getting a water supply and carrying away the waste. It can plan for new streets and roads. It may plan for new buildings. It may divide the community into districts. It can keep factories, stores, and business buildings out of the home districts. If a city is divided into special districts for homes, factories, and business buildings, it helps to cut down the number of accidents, fires, etc. You will want to know whether your community has a special group that plans for the future. THE MAYOR-COUNCIL PLAN OF CITY GOVERNMENT We know that the services of our local governments are important. But how are they carried out? How are the local governments organized to supply their services? The local government that we know best is perhaps that of a city which is near to us. Our cities have a number of different forms of government organization. There is almost always a group of chosen representatives to direct the business of the city-to make the local laws and levy (fix) the local taxes. There is also one person who is the head of the city government. He is called the mayor or、 manager. Then there are heads of important departments. who are responsible to the mayor or manager. The plan of city government is not the same for every city. You will want to study the plan of your own city. Your teacher will tell you where to go for the information. But, in general, there are three forms of city government in use in the United States. In some cities the voters elect an officer, known as a mayor. The voters also elect a lawmaking group, called a council. The members of the city council may all be elected by all of the voters. Often the city is divided into districts, with a member from each district. This form of city government is called the mayor-council plan. The council makes the laws. The mayor enforces the laws. The mayor must have men to help him. The more important officers who work with him are called department heads. From our study of the purposes of the local government we know that there are departments of public health, police, fire, education, etc. The heads of these departments have such authority as is delegated to them by the mayor or by the city council. Under this plan, the council passes the city laws. They are called ordinances or by-laws. But the city council cannot pass laws that go against the city charter, the National or State laws, or the National or State Constitutions. With the help of the mayor, it decides how much money is to be spent by each of the city departments and the purposes for which it is to be used. THE COMMISSION PLAN OF CITY GOVERNMENT Under the second plan of city government, the voters elect a small group of officials who are called the commission. The members of the commission may be elected by the people of the whole city. Often the city is divided into districts and one member is elected from each district. The commission makes the laws of the city. It also sees that they are enforced. The work of the city is divided among several departments. Each member of the commission is the head of one or more of the departments. THE CITY-MANAGER PLAN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT Under the third plan of city government, the people elect a small council. The council makes the city ordinances and decides general matters. The council elects a manager who enforces the laws. The council has power to select the best man for the job. The city manager appoints the heads of the departments who help him carry out the laws. He reports to the council on the needs of the city. He suggests plans as to how the public money should be spent. If the manager does not do his work well, he can be removed from office by the council. ALL CITIES HAVE A SYSTEM OF COURTS Every city has a system of courts. Sometimes the judges of the courts are elected by the voters of the city. In other cities, the judges are appointed by the city council or commission, or by the governor of the State. OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS In the early days, there were very few police in the cities. The citizens guarded their own homes and properties. The people cared for their own needs. But today we call upon our governments to serve us. We prefer to pay taxes for these services rather than serve ourselves. We want our governments to furnish the services that are needed in order that we may live well. All of our States are divided into districts. In most States the districts are called counties. In the New England States the town is an important local government. Often the counties are divided into smaller districts that are called by different names in different States. |