Name:

Period:

Georgia’s County Governments

1.  According to the Georgia Constitution of 1983, what is the maximum number of counties allowed? 159

2.  Why was this stipulation added to the constitution?

3.  Define “anecdotal”: based on secondhand accounts rather than firsthand knowledge

4.  According to anecdotal history, why does Georgia contain so many counties? According to anecdotal history, Georgia established enough counties so that a farmer traveling by mule-drawn buggy could go to the county seat, take care of business, and return to his farm in the same day.

5.  What is the benefit of having a large number of counties? Having a large number of counties gave Georgians more representation in state government and more business in towns.

6.  Every county has what 7 basic powers?

a.  - conducts local courts of laws

b.  - voter registrations and elections

c.  - sell motor vehicle tags

d.  - files official records of property ownership

e.  - builds and repairs county roads

f.  - probates wills

g.  - administers welfare and public assistance programs

7.  Define “supplementary”. additional to an existing one

8.  In addition to the above, the 1983 Constitution allowed counties to provide supplementary powers. Why did the 1983 Constitution add these supplementary powers? These supplementary powers address citizens' demands to improve and maintain the state's quality of life.

9.  Complete the chart below. Add an * to the four original elected county officers.

County Officer / Role & Duties
Sheriff* / Enforces the law, maintains peace in the county, and serves as the jailer.
Tax commissioner* / Receives all tax returns, maintains the county’s tax records, and collects and pay tax refunds to the state and local governments.
Clerk of the Superior Court* / Primary record keeper for the county. Maintains all the court records and supervises the registration of property transactions
Judge of the Probate Court* / Oversees matters pertaining to property deeds, marriage licenses, guardianships, and wills. Supervises elections and administers public oaths of office
County Commissioner/Board of Commissioners / It has the power to adopt ordinances, resolutions, or regulations relating to county property, county affairs, and the operation of local government.

11.  Who are the main governmental authorities in the counties of Georgia? Board of Commissioner

Georgia City Governments & Municipal Services

1.  Define “municipality” a city, town, or other area that has its own local government

2.  According to Georgia law, what is the difference between cities, towns, & municipalities? Georgia law makes no distinction among cities, towns, and municipalities.

3.  What is a municipal charter and what does it establish? A municipal charter is a written document that provides a municipality with the authority to exist and function. The charter is a city's fundamental law.

4.  What powers does a city have? may include, but are not limited to, appropriations and expenditures, contracts, emergencies, environmental protection, nuisance abatement, planning and zoning, police and fire protection, public transportation, sanitation collection and disposal, streets and roads, taxes, and water and sewer services

5.  How is a municipality formed in Georgia and how does it retain it’s charter? three conditions must be met if the municipality is to retain its charter: the city must perform a minimum of three services from a prescribed list; it must hold at least six regular, officially recorded public meetings in a year; and it must have held or show that it could hold regular municipal elections.

6.  Why would residents wish to seek municipal status? Residents seek municipal status because they want new or improved services

7.  Of the sixteen services that a municipality may provide according to the Georgia Constitution, which five do you feel are the most important and why?

a.  - police and fire protection

b.  - sanitation

c.  - street and roads

d.  - water and sewer services

e.  - taxes

8.  Complete the Chart below

Type of City Government / Powers of the Mayor / Powers of the Council
Strong Mayor / Serves as the chief executive officer and has full responsibility for the city’s daily operations. Can hire and fire department heads and other city staff, prepares and administers the city’s budget and executes contracts. Appoint committees, veto legislation, and appoint advisory boards / Responsible for enacting the city’s policies, through the adoption of ordinances or resolutions. Has the authority to override Mayor’s veto
Weak Mayor / The mayor and city council normally share the primary policymaking role, and the mayor fills the primary executive role. In many cities, however, the "weak" mayor's role is primarily ceremonial; the mayor possesses few, if any, of the executive powers. Limited authority / the mayor and city council normally share the primary policymaking role
City Council / The mayor normally serves as the ceremonial head of the city.
Does not possess the authority to veto legislation passed by the council.
The city manager is normally hired on the basis of experience and qualifications.
Possesses complete administrative authority over the city's operations, including the hiring and firing of department heads
. for development and administration of the city's annual budget and for advising the mayor and council on matters affecting the city. / Council-manager form of government is similar to that of a corporation. For example, the municipality's citizens are treated as shareholders who elect a city council to serve as their board of directors. The city council sets the city's policies and hires a professional manager to implement them.

Special Purpose Governments (Public Authorities & Corporations)

1.  Explain the purpose and rationale of the creation of special purpose governments. Created by law and given corporate powers to pursue a public purpose. To provide finance construction of schools, universities, highways, bridges, government buildings, ports and other public facilities.

2.  Provide an example of a state authority for each of the following:

a.  Schools

b.  Universities

c.  Highways

d.  Mass transportation

3.  Give the arguments for both sides of this issue.

Pro Public Authorities & Corporations / Against Public Authorities & Corporations
They have flexibility to operate like a business. Can be provided across city or county boundaries. / The number of these types of government are increasing and they are governed by an appointed board that is not accountable to voters.

4.  Complete the table below.

Public Authority/Corporation
or Not / Why
or
Why Not?
MARTA / Yes / Marta is governed by an eighteen-member board of directors
State authorities created governing body to finance and governing the public enterprise
The Atlanta Braves / No / Privately owned by Liberty Media
Stone Mountain Park / Yes / State authorities created governing body to finance and governing the public enterprise
World Congress Center / Yes / State authorities created governing body to finance and governing the public enterprise
The Georgia Aquarium / No / Philanthropic creation of the Marcus Foundation. Marcus donated $200 million from his personal fortune to fund the project,
Georgia Lottery / Yes / is governed by a seven-member board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate.
Delta Airlines / No / Private corporation

Local governments work with state agencies to administer state programs.

1.  Choose one state agency below and explain how local governments work with them.

a.  Georgia Department of Labor

b.  Georgia Bureau of Investigations

c.  Georgia Department of Education


Citations (cite your sources in Easybib, Copy&Paste)

Fenster, Kenneth R. "Atlanta Braves." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 9 Aug. 2004. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Hoitt, Perry. "Georgia's City Governments." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 8 Aug. 2002. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

Huff, Christopher Allen. "Bernie Marcus (b. 1929)." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 17 Nov. 2005. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Jackson, Edwin L. "Public Authorities and Public Corporations." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 21 June 2004. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Saunders, Martha A. "Statutory and Executive Boards and Commissions." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 21 June 2004. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Toon, John D. "Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 20 Oct. 2003. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Vyas, Amee. "Georgia's County Governments."New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 12 Aug. 2002. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.