Is a county considered a local government?
Historically, a county was thought of as an extension of state government – not a local government. As a result, for example, a county does not have general ordinance-making powers (there are exceptions, see specifics below).
What states do not have city-counties?
Conversely, the independent cities of the states of Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, and Nevada are municipalities that do not legally belong to any county, but may still function as if they were consolidated city-counties. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas.
What are the three sources of power for government?
There are three primary sources of power for government. These are the consent of the governed, wealth, and force or the threat of force. Sometimes in a given country, it seems as though more than one of these forces is in play. When the governed consent, we have a democracy. The source of government's power is the people.
What is the most extensive county in the US?
The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km 2 ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California, with a land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km 2 ).
What political body governs a county?
Unlike the separation of powers that characterizes the federal and state governments, the Board of Supervisors is both the legislative and the executive authority of the county.
Who holds the most power in a county?
A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county.
Who heads a county in us?
Who Runs a County? Ultimately, the citizens of each county decide who runs their government by electing a board of county commissioners to govern the county. In most counties, commissioners serve four-year terms, but a few counties use two-year terms or a combination of two- and four-year terms.
How are counties determined?
Ordinarily, the boundaries of a county are set by the state legislature. If a boundary is marked by a stream or river, the county extends to the center and remains there from the time of the county's creation, even if the stream subsequently changes course.
Why are counties called counties?
The name "county" was introduced by the Normans, and was derived from a Norman term for an area administered by a Count (lord). These Norman "counties" were simply the Saxon shires, and kept their Saxon names.
How are counties organized?
Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission, board of supervisors, commissioners' court, county council, board of chosen freeholders, county court, or county Legislature.
How does a county make money?
Funding from the federal and state government for health and human services is the largest source of county revenues. Property taxes and sales and use taxes are the primary funding sources for many county services that do not have a dedicated state or federal funding source.
What states have no counties?
In the United States, counties are usually government units below the state level. Louisiana has parishes instead of counties, and Alaska has boroughs. The states of Rhode Island and Connecticut do not have county governments at all—counties are geographic, not political.
Which US state has the most counties?
TexasTexas has 254 counties — far more than any other state.
Is there a county in the US with no population?
There are currently 3,007 counties spread out across the country; Texas has 254, while Delaware only has three, the fewest of any US state....The 10 Least Populated US Counties.RankCountyPopulation1Kalawao County, Hawaii862Loving County, Texas1693King County, Texas2724Kenedy County, Texas4046 more rows•Sep 30, 2020
What's the purpose of counties?
People depend on counties to provide services that build, maintain, and protect their homes, schools and neighborhoods. Counties are also an instrumental player in America's intergovernmental system of federal, state, and local governments.
Do any counties cross state lines?
No county set crosses state lines. All counties within any county set are within the same state. Counties are grouped within MSAs if possible.
Who holds the most power in the United States?
PresidentPresident—The president leads the country. He or she is the head of state, leader of the federal government, and Commander in Chief of the United States armed forces. The president serves a four-year term and can be elected no more than two times.
Who holds the highest power in the US?
The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created by Congress.
What are the statutes that limit county ordinance making authority?
The statutes limit county ordinance making authority from four categories: Must be related to "county affairs" (e.g., internal operations of the county such as ordinances about county-owned land, buildings, facilities). Cannot contravene state law.
Why is it important for a county to adopt an ordinance?
In northern parts of Michigan there is often the suggestion that it makes more sense for the county to adopt an ordinance because it has the police department (sheriff), legal team (prosecutor), and other resources to uniformly enforce ordinances for the entire county. One county who adopted this thinking produced a well written storm water and erosion control ordinance. It even became a model for use in the state. But several years after its adoption someone challenged the ordinance arguing that a county does not have general ordinance making powers. The judge agreed, setting aside the county ordinance.
What is the lack of police power?
Lack of general police power. This limitation is not found above, but, rather, is the absence of state statute that delegated such authority to county government. No statute specifically gives county commissions a general grant of authority to regulate or pass ordinances to protect the "health, safety, and welfare" of its population.
Can a county pass ordinances?
The attorney general was pointing out that counties may only “pass regulations and ordinances relating to county affairs and do not contravene the general laws of this state or interfere with the local affairs of a township, city, or village within the limits of the county” ( County Boards of Supervisors; M.C.L. 46.11 (j) ). The statutes limit county ordinance making authority from four categories:
Which has more power, a county or a municipality?
Municipalities have more authority, powers than counties, and can adopt police power ordinances. Many assume county government has more authority or equal authority as local units of government such as townships, cities or villages. This assumption might be made because a county government includes a large geographic area with several local ...
Does Michigan have a local government?
In the end, Michigan local governments, including counties, have only the powers conferred upon them by the Michigan Constitution or state statutes. ( Alan v. Wayne County, 388 Mich 210, 245; 200 NW2d 628 (1972).)
Can a township enforce a village ordinance?
A county cannot enforce township, city, or village ordinances, that enforcement must be the responsibility of the respective municipality.
What are the sources of power?
There are three primary sources of power for government. These are the consent of the governed, wealth, and force or the threat of force. Sometimes in a given country, it seems as though more than one of these forces is in play. When the governed consent, we have a democracy. The source of government's power is the people.
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How many bases of power does a government have?
If we look at many countries in the world today, their governments appear to have at least two bases of power.
When the governed consent, we have a democracy?
When the governed consent, we have a democracy. The source of government's power is the people. If they choose to not re-elect a government or to recall a government, the power is no more, and provision is made for an orderly transition of power to a new government.
Is Russia a dictatorship?
Russia, too, has features of dictatorship, with dissidents imprisoned or even murdered for their opposition. It is difficult to say in some cases that a government is a pure example of just one basis of power. If we look at many countries in the world today, their governments appear to have at least two bases of power.
Overview
County government
The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by the general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments.
Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission, boar…
History
The origin of the American counties are in the counties of England. English (after 1707 British) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in the British metropole: the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown. The House of Burgesses divi…
County variations
A consolidated city-county is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; Indianapolis, Indiana; Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Lexington, Kentucky; Kansas City, Kansas; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, …
Names and etymologies
Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite a few counties bear names of Native American, French, or Spanish origin.
Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County, fo…
Statistics
As of 2016 , there were 3,007 counties, 64 parishes, 19 organized boroughs, 11 census areas, 41 independent cities, and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,143 counties and county equivalents in the 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States. The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the t…
Geographic relationships between cities and counties
In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties. Dallas and Oklahoma City, for example, both contain portions of five counties. New York City is an unusual case because it encompasses multiple entire counties in one city. Each of those counti…
See also
• Index of U.S. counties
• Lists of counties in the United States
• List of FIPS codes
• Census geographic units of Canada