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American Government Chapter 25

American Government Chapter 25. Section 1 Counties, Towns, and Townships. The Counties. Stats – county size EXTREMES San Bernardino County, CA 20,064 square miles Kalawao County, Hawaii 13 square miles. Stats – population Los Angeles County, CA 9 million people Loving County, Texas

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American Government Chapter 25

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  1. American GovernmentChapter 25 Section 1 Counties, Towns, and Townships

  2. The Counties • Stats – county size • EXTREMES • San Bernardino County, CA • 20,064 square miles • Kalawao County, Hawaii • 13 square miles

  3. Stats – population • Los Angeles County, CA • 9 million people • Loving County, Texas • 150 people

  4. Powers of Typical County Govt. • Executive Power • Levy taxes • Appropriate funds • Legislative Power • Supervising road programs • Managing county property

  5. Elected County OfficialsTitles & Job Description • Sherriff • Keeps jail and furnishes police protection • Clerk • Registers and records documents, mortgages • Assessor • Appraises property • Treasurer • Keeps county funds • Auditor • Keeps financial records

  6. Titles & Jobs Cont. • District Attorney • Chief lawyer for the county • Coroner • Investigates deaths • About 2 million people throughout the U.S. work in county government

  7. Functions performed by county governments • 1. keep peace • 2. collect taxes • 3. spend funds • 4. build/repair roads & bridges • 5. maintain schools • 6. record deeds • 7. licenses • 8. etc.

  8. Towns • New England towns • They have been the major unit of local government for hundreds of years; its meetings are examples of direct democracy

  9. Townships • Differences • In NY, NJ, PA: townships where formed where people settled, so they are not uniform in shape • From Ohio westward; townships are uniform in shape because they were drawn in federal public land surveys

  10. Townships cont. • States are divided into townships • How big is a township? • 36 square miles (6 miles square) • Each township is divided into sections which are each 1 mile square • Sections can be divided into smaller lots (Half Section-320 acres, Quarter Sections-160 acres, Half Quarters-80 acres)

  11. Special Districts • Jobs of Special Districts • 1. provide water, sewage and electrical service • 2. furnish fire and police protection • 3. build and maintain libraries, parks, schools etc.

  12. Terms • Borough • - the main unit of local government in Alaska • County • - the main unit of local government in most of the U.S. • Special District • - an independent unit of local government • Parish • - the main unit of local government in Louisiana • Townships • - Mainly in the Midwest – counties are divided into subunits that share the duties of local government

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