Georgia
and the American Experience
Chapter 16:
Local Government
and Citizenship
Lesson 5: Local
Governments in Georgia
(Chapter 16 Section 1)
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
– How is a county government
organized?
County Government
• Georgia has 159 counties, nearly 600
towns – each has a government
• county: subdivision of a state set up for
certain governmental functions
• most Georgia counties are run by an
elected Board of Commissioners
• most counties are set up in a similar
manner
A Look at One County
• Camden County used as example
• County depends on tourism and Navy’s submarine
base for jobs to support economy
• Spanish settled area in 1500s – one of Georgia’s
original counties
• Government led by five-member Board of
Commissioners
• county administrator hired by the Board to manage
day-to-day operations
• Woodbine is county seat
• School Board: five elected members and elected
school superintendent
Sharing Services
• Some city and county governments share
services
• Fulton County is home to city of Atlanta
• Fulton County and city of Atlanta share
zoning duties and library system
• Fulton and DeKalb counties share a
hospital authority
• Fulton County and the City of Atlanta have
separate school systems
Officials in County Government
• Most counties have the following elected officials:
– commissioners, superior court clerk, probate court
judge, sheriff, tax commissioner, coroner
• Many officials are appointed:
– county clerk, fire chief, road supervisor, emergency
management director, attorney, planning and building
inspector, etc.
• Larger counties have
more officials
Section 2: City Government
and Special-Purpose Districts
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
–How do city governments work in
Georgia?
City Government
• Municipality: a city with its own government
• city receives charter from state legislature
• city charter explains what the city government can do
– police protection, maintain streets and sidewalks,
license businesses, control traffic, provide water and
sewerage
• some city charters allow for a city-run school system
Forms of City Government
•
Mayor-Council: most common in Georgia
– elected council, elected mayor
– weak-mayor system: mayor has
little power, figurehead
– strong-mayor system: mayor has
power to run the city, propose
budget, can veto council
– Example:
•
•
Strong-mayor = Atlanta
Weak-mayor = Smyrna
Forms of City Government
•
Council-Manager
– voters elect council members
– mayor may be elected or appointed
– council hires city manager for day-to-day
operations of the city
– Example:
•
Savannah
Forms of City Government
•
City Commission
– voters elect commissioners
– commissioners form department heads of the
city
– mayor chosen by the commissioners
– Example:
•
Decatur
City-County Government
•
•
•
some city and county governments
merge when the region becomes
more urban
can reduce the cost
of government
Examples
–
–
Athens-Clarke County
Columbus-Muscogee County
Special Purpose Districts
• Created for a specific job or task
• Within certain guidelines, these districts are
self-governing
• Examples
– school districts
– MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority)
– Public Housing Authority
– Georgia Ports Authority
Funding Local Government
• Sources of funding include state and federal
grants and taxes on citizens
• ad valorem taxes: taxes paid based on the value
of the property
• user fees: paid by the user of the service
• sales tax: added to purchases made in the city or
county
– general purpose local option sales tax: tax for general
use
– special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST):
approved by voters, adds sales tax to fund special
projects such as parks or schools
• bond issues: a way for governments to borrow
money; interest must be paid on the bonds
Click to return to Table of Contents.
Section 3:
Where Do Georgia’s Citizens
Live?
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION
– Where do Georgia’s citizens live?
Where do Georgians Live?
• Georgia is one of fastest-growing states
• Hispanics are fastest-growing group
• Georgia’s has an increasing number of older
citizens
• Most Georgians (2/3) live in metropolitan area
(area in or around a city)
• Over 50% of Georgians live in metro Atlanta
• Just 50 years ago, most Georgians lived in rural
areas – Georgians were mostly farmers
Urban Sprawl
• In 1960s, people began to move to
suburbs – areas near edge of cities
• Expansion of suburbs created declines in
urban population
• Large numbers of people in suburbs cause
challenges to infrastructure – not enough
roads, utilities, schools, sewerage, etc.
• Sprawl can cause traffic and pollution
problems and an economic problem for
the central city since the number of
residents declines
Urban Revitalization
• Effort to attract citizens to live in urban
areas
• Cities need people to work and live there in
order to grow and be healthy
• Examples
– Atlanta: Sweet Auburn, Little Five Points,
Virginia Highlands
– Savannah: historic district, Bay Street, Factor’s
Walk
– Augusta: Riverwalk
Click to return to Table of Contents.
Section 4: Participation in
a Representative
Democracy
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION
– What duties and responsibilities do I
have as a citizen?
Political Parties
• Organized groups of people with common
ideals – seek to influence government
policies
• Two major political parties in US:
– Democrats
– Republicans
• Minor political parties also exist
• Independents are not part of a particular
political party
Voters
• Major influence of government each election day
• Voters decide who will make the decisions for the
government
• Georgia Election Code guides national, state, and
local elections
• General election: held each November in evennumbered years to elect major federal and state
officials
• Other elections may be held as needed for
national, state, county or city officials
• Voters select most important officials, others are
appointed
Citizenship
• If your parents are US citizens or you were born in
the US, you have all the rights and protections of
the US and Georgia constitutions
• Naturalized citizen: foreigner who chooses to
become a US citizen
• Process to become naturalized citizen requires
much time and effort
• Responsibilities go along with rights
–
–
–
–
–
participation in government (voting, running for office)
upholding the laws of the nation and state
defending the nation against enemies
serve on juries
serving the community
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