"Swiss cheese journalism"
 

"Given the many active political units that require media attention, media reporting, of necessity, is highly selective and superficial."
 

Three basic structures in local government
 

Municipality or city
 

County
 

Special district

Unitary relationship
 

General-law v. home-rule cities
 

Dillon's rule
 

Some cities have forms of direct democracy
 

Amarillo - vote on police officer and firefighter pay raises

Houston - new stadium
 

Three forms of city government
 

Council-manager system
 

Definition

Advantages

Disadvantages
 

Mayor-council system

Strong mayor

Weak mayor

Definition

Advantages

Disadvantages
 

Commission system
 

Definition

Advantages

Disadvantages
 

Municipal elections
 

Single-member Districts

At-large

Hybrid election system
 

Cumulative voting

Solution to the unconstitutionality of race-based election districts
 

Revenue Sources and Limitations

Municipalities differ in amount and sources of revenue

Size

Amount and type of taxes

Value of taxable property

Needs of residents
 

One percent sales tax since 1968

13 percent of revenue
 

Ad valorem property taxes

Assessed value of real property
 

User fees

Often instituted when citizens do not want taxes
 

Public debt

Municipal bonds

Fund infrastructure projects
 

Issues in Municipal Government
 

Economic development

Cities use sales tax

Also "smokestack chasing"
 

Government mandates

Federal government requires something

Often without funding - unfunded mandate
 

Annexation

People have moved to suburbs but work in cities

Still require police and fire protection, for example

Extraterritorial jurisdiction

One-half to five miles beyond the city's limits

Area based on city population

City enforces zoning and building codes

No new cities may be incorporated

City may annex as much as 10 percent of area with consent of inhabitants
 

Decreases the number of "bedroom communities"

Cities can "recapture" the people who fled earlier

People who are being annexed can vote to refuse
 

Term limits
 

Many cities have enacted term limits on elected public officials

Courts have ruled such limits constitutional