Texas Local Government, Bureaucracy, and Public Policy Study Guide

What is the prevailing constitutional theory or system that best describes the relationship between that state and its local government?  

Dillon's Rule — local governments are creations of the state and only have powers the state gives them. State governments grant local governments powers, duties, and functions.

What is Dillon’s rule?

Local governments only have powers expressly granted by the state. If there's any doubt about a power, it's denied to the local government. 

What percent of Texans live in urban areas?

About 90 percent.

What is the city with the largest population? Largest landmass?

Largest population: Houston. Largest landmass (county): Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. 

Know general law cities, home rule cities, which is the most common type of city in Texas?

General law cities: limited to powers granted by the legislature; usually under 5,000 people. Home rule cities: more local authority, voters adopt a city charter; requires 5,000+ population. General law cities are the most common by number in Texas. 

Know mayor council, commissioner, and council manager forms of city government (characteristics).

Mayor-Council: mayor is chief executive, council is legislative body. Commission: commissioners combine all three functions (executive, legislative, administrative) — originated in Galveston after the 1900 hurricane. Council-Manager: council sets policy, hired city manager runs day-to-day operations. 

Which form of city government is the most common?

Mayor-council is the most common overall. Council-manager is used by all major Texas cities except Houston. 

Know strong mayor and weak mayor system of mayor council form of city government.

Weak mayor: shares power with the council, limited authority. Strong mayor: real executive power and administrative control. Houston is the only large Texas city with a strong mayor. 

What is a major disadvantage of commission form of city government?

No single person is in charge — leads to lack of unified leadership and minimal oversight. 

Commission form of city government combines what functions into the offices of the commissioners?

• Executive, legislative, and administrative functions — all held by the commissioners. 

Who is usually a voting member of the city council but with few other duties in a council-manager form of government?

The mayor. 

Know at-large elections, place system, nonpartisan, and single member districts.

At-large: elected by the whole city. Place system: candidates run citywide but for a specific seat. Nonpartisan: no party labels on the ballot — used by virtually every Texas city. Single-member districts: city divided into geographic districts, each elects its own rep. 

Who has benefited from at-large citywide election systems?

Nonminority, high-income areas of the city. 

What are cities primarily dependent on for revenue? What is a regressive tax system?

Primarily property taxes and sales taxes. A regressive tax falls more heavily on lower-income people as a percentage of their income. 

What is a rollback election?

• An election citizens could petition for to cancel a property tax increase over 8%. A 2019 law replaced this with a 3.5% cap requiring voter approval. 

What are bonds? What are general obligation bonds? Revenue bonds? Examples?

• Bonds are borrowed money for construction projects. General obligation bonds are backed by the government's taxing power and require voter approval. Revenue bonds are repaid from the revenue the project generates (e.g., tolls, utility fees). 

How are bonds secured?

General obligation bonds: by the government's taxing authority. Revenue bonds: by the project's own revenue stream. 

What is mandate?

• A requirement imposed by a higher government on a local government — often without enough funding to cover the cost (unfunded mandate) 

What is “White Flight”?

•  The movement of White residents from cities to the suburbs, weakening the city's tax base. Gentrification is the more recent reverse trend — younger, often White residents moving back into cities. 

Who presides over the commissioner’s court? How many commissioners does it have?

• The county judge presides. There are four commissioners plus the county judge — five total. 

What are the requirements and job of the county judge?

• Elected county-wide, not required to be a lawyer. Presides over the commissioners court, helps set the tax rate and adopt the budget. 

Why is the county clerk office considered a dumping ground?

• Because it handles a wide variety of unrelated record-keeping duties with no clear focus.