Name: ______
Reading Guide 14.1-14.3: Local Government and Finance
(Pages: 400-415)
14.1 Municipal Government in North Carolina
1. What is a county?
2. What does every country have?
3. What is an ordinance?
4. Who decides the local government and the authority it has?
5. What does it mean when a state incorporates an area?
6. What purpose does a charter serve?
7. Define annexation:
8. What might a local legislature be called?
9. What are the purposes of ordinances?
10. What is an at-large election?
11. What does a city manager do?
12. What is the most common local government system in North Carolina?
14.2 County Government
13. What is the major governing body in most North Carolina counties?
14. What jobs do the county commissioners perform?
15. What are the responsibilities if the county manager?
16. How does the county manager interact with some country departments?
17. Name four departments that do not have to report to the county commissioners or county manager. Who do the departments report to?
18. With whom must a county manager work to draft a budget for the county?
19. What is a special district? Give some examples.
14.3 Government Finances
20. What are the two parts of a budget?
21. What happens to the budget in odd-numbered years? even numbered years?
22. What is a balanced budget?
23. What does the General Assembly do once the governor proposes the budget?
24. What provided the largest source of state revenue?
25. What is a budget surplus?
26. What can state and local governments borrow money for?
27. What is a bond?
28. Which type of bond must be approved by voters?
29. What are local governments required to do every July 1st?
30. What is the major expense for most municipalities?
31. How is the property tax rate set?