Texas gov’t exam 4 Chapter 11- local gov’t

Anyone who lives in a metropolitan area is likely to be governed by a. municipal and county governments. c. hospital districts. b. school districts. d. All of the above are true.

Which of the following is not a special district in Texas? a. Hospital district c. Municipal utility district b. Metropolitan transit authority d. Municipal government

All of the following are examples of local governments in Texas except a. county. c. town. b. municipal. d. special district.

According to the Pew Research Center, the American public has a more _________ of local governments than of the national and state governments. a. positive view c. neutral view b. negative view d. conservative view

In Texas, political parties do not a. nominate candidates below the county level. b. mention party affiliation on the ballot. c. increase voter turnout in the municipal and special district elections. d. All of the above are true.

In 2007, Farmers Branch in Dallas, Texas, passed an ordinance that was upheld by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals; this ordinance was a ban on a. businesses employing illegal immigrants. b. renting apartments to illegal immigrants. c. providing health services to illegal immigrants. d. illegal immigrants living in the city.

All local governments are bound by all of the following except a. federal laws. c. the United States Constitution. b. state laws. d. municipal codes.

The relationship between states and local governments follows from the fact that states have a _________ system of government. a. confederacy c. federal b. unitary d. federation

__________ are creatures of the state and have only as much power as the Texas Constitution and Texas legislature grant them? a. Counties c. School districts b. Special districts d. All of the above are true.

Texas cities are classified as either a. incorporated or unincorporated. c. general-law or home-rule. b. partisan or nonpartisan. d. homogenous or heterogeneous.

Which of the following statements about a general-law city is correct? a. It is an incorporated community with a population of 5,000 or less. b. It is city with a population of over 5,000. c. It was established in 1912 by a state constitutional amendment. d. It can adopt its own charter.

Cities that limit the sale of beer and wine, freeze property taxes for seniors and people with disabilities, increase minimum wage, and place a cap on property tax rates is an example of a(n) a. referendum. c. initiative. b. recall. d. mandate.

Which of the following allows registered voters to force a sometimes reluctant city council to place a proposed ordinance on the ballot? a. Initiative c. Mandate b. Earmarking d. None of the above is true.

To become a home-rule city in Texas, a city must have a population of at least a. 15,000 residents. c. 5,000 residents. b. 25,000 residents. d. 50,000 residents.

Voters who wish to repel an existing ordinance can petition the council to hold a(n) a. referendum election. c. partisan election. b. initiative election. d. writ of mandamus.

Which of the following statements about recall elections is incorrect? a. They are used in home-rule cities. b. Recalled members of a city council must step down once the election results are certified. c. They permit the people to remove the mayor or a member of the council. d. They are used in general-rule cities.

Which of the following is a limit placed on home rule cities in Texas? a. State law determines the specific dates for municipal elections. b. Local government are subject to sunshine laws. c. All local election law changes must meet federal pre-clearance requirements. d. All of the above are true.

Which of the following is not a form of local government? a. Council-manager system c. Commission system b. Mayor-council system d. Strong manager-council system

In a council-manager form of government, who is responsible for both executing council policies and managing the day-to-day operations of city government? a. Elected city council members b. The mayor c. The city manager d. The presiding officer of the city council

The powers of the city manager come from a. a city charter. c. federal statutes. b. passage of fundamental law. d. the state constitution.

Council-manager government was initiated as part of a reform movement during the a. New Deal era. c. Governor Edmund Davis Era. b. Progressive Era. d. Reconstruction Era.

In the strong-mayor system, who is responsible for administration of city policy? a. The council c. The manager b. The mayor d. The city judge

Which of the following is considered a restriction on the powers of the mayor in some strong-mayor council systems of government? a. Nonpartisan elections c. Campaign finance laws b. Ethics d. All of the above are true.

In a weak-mayor form of government, power is a. decentralized. c. centralized. b. diversified. d. None of the above is true.

The two largest Texas cities with a mayor-council form of government are a. El Paso and Dallas. c. Fort Worth and Dallas. b. Houston and Pasadena. d. Austin and Houston.

Which city governments have officials who act as both executives and legislators? a. Strong-major councils c. Commissions b. Mayor-councils d. Weak-major councils

A majority of U.S. cities have all of the following except a. partisan elections. b. council-manager form of government. c. at-large elections. d. powers of initiative and recall.

In many cities some or all of the city council members are elected by voters of the entire municipality rather than form neighborhood districts. This is called a(n) a. pure at-large system. c. at-large system. b. at-large city elections. d. multi-member districts.

Which type of election system has served as the primary means of increasing minority representation on city councils? a. Pure-at-large c. Multi-member districts b. At-large place d. Single-member districts

__________ voting is an at-large system that permits voters to cast one or more votes for a single candidate. a. Pure-at-large c. Modified single district b. At-large place d. Cumulative

The idea that city hall is best governed by new blood and fresh ideas and that limiting the number of terms for council members in the best way to achieve that goal is known as a. single-member district. b. term limits. c. weak council member system. d. weak manager council member system.

Which factors influence the sources and amount of revenue used to meet a city's budgetary obligations? a. Size of the city's population b. The amount and type of taxes a city is allowed to levy c. The total assessed value of taxable property within the city limits d. All of the above are true.

When it comes to the use of lobbyists to promote the needs of local government, which is an argument not used by critics? a. Local government advocacy is a responsibility best met by local elected officials. b. Taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for lobbyists. c. Money dedicated to lobbyists would be better spent on services and projects, especially when local governments face financial shortfalls. d. Local governments need additional leverage when it comes to combating unfunded mandates.

Property appraisals in all local governments are done by which of the following? a. County clerks c. Countywide appraisal authority b. Tax-assessor collectors d. County auditors

The maximum property tax rate of a general-law city is a. $1.50 per $100 of the assessed value of a city's property. b. $1.00 per $100 of the assessed value of a city's property. c. $2.00 per $100 of the assessed value of a city's property. d. $2.50 per $100 of the assessed value of a city's property.

Home-rule municipalities can set property tax rates as high as a. $2.00 per $100 of assessed value. c. $3.50 per $100 of assessed value. b. $2.50 per $ 100 of assessed value. d. $1.50 per $100 of assessed value.

Some Texas cities have taken measures to limit increases in property taxes by a. issuing a property tax cap of $0.68 per $200 valuation of property. b. allowing the ability to petition for a rollback election. c. freezing property taxes for the disabled and the elderly. d. having flexibility about freezing and unfreezing property taxes.

A rollback election does which of the following? a. Voters in non-school district jurisdictions limit an increase in the property tax rate to no more than 8 percent. b. Voters in school district jurisdictions limit an increase in the property tax rate to no more than 8 percent. c. Voters in non-school district and school jurisdictions limit an increase in the property tax rate to no more than 8 percent. d. The Texas constitution does not allow local governments to have roll back elections.

Which of the following is not considered a city user fee? a. Electricity rates c. Ad valorem b. Garbage collection fees d. Ambulance service fees

Local governments use public debt (normally bond issues that must be approved by the voters in a referendum) to fund which of the following? a. City services c. Roads, buildings, and public facilities b. Public assistance d. Health care

Which of the following is not a source of municipal revenue? a. Sales tax c. Income tax b. Property taxes d. User fees

Although Texas added more people than any other state, most of this growth has been in a. suburban and exurban communities. c. colonias. b. rural communities. d. metropolitan areas.

Of the ten largest cities in the United States, Texas is home to how many of the largest cities? a. One c. Two b. Three d. Five

Which of the following statements about mandates is correct? a. There is an increase in the number of mandates imposed by the federal government. b. There is a decrease in the number of mandates imposed by the state government. c. There is a decrease in the number of mandates imposed by all governments. d. There are no mandates in Texas.

Which of the following is not an example of a federal mandate? a. The Motor Voter Act c. The Americans with Disabilities Act b. The No Child Left Behind Act d. No-smoking ordinances

Which public official is not a member of the Unfunded Mandates Interagency Work Group? a. The state auditor c. The lieutenant governor b. The comptroller d. A state senator

Big cities in Texas have suffered less than many other U.S. cities from "white flight," urban decay, the evacuation of industry, and declining tax bases; one reason they have escaped some of the worst of these problems is a. the state's board of annexation laws. c. mandates. b. extraterritorial jurisdiction. d. changing demographics.

Texas cities can keep from being boxed in by suburban "bedroom" cities using their power of a. eminent domain. c. injunction. b. extraterritorial jurisdiction. d. mandate.

Which of the following statements about colonia is incorrect? a. Most colonia are along the U.S.-Mexico border. b. A colonia that is eligible for state aid cannot continue to receive such aid after annexation by a city. c. A colonia is a severely impoverished unincorporated area. d. There are about 1,800 colonia in Texas.

All of the following statements about county government are true with the exception of which one? a. Texas has 254 counties. b. County government is far less flexible than municipal government in its organization and functions. c. Texas counties, like cities, have home-rule provisions. d. Counties cannot pass ordinances unless specifically authorized by the state.

In terms of property taxes, the county is limited to a rate of __________ per $100 of assessed valuation. a. 80 cents c. 60 cents b. 70 cents d. 50 cents

Which of the following is an optional county power authorized by state laws and various state codes? a. A county may establish and maintain libraries. b. Counties may regulate sexually-oriented businesses. c. A county government has the authority to maintain a county hospital. d. All of the above are true.

Which county official presides over the commissioners' court? a. The county sheriff c. The county clerk b. The county auditor d. The county judge

The commissioners court acts as a legislature a. with limited authority to approve the budget for all county operations. b. to set the tax rate. c. to pass ordinances on a narrow range of policies. d. All of the above are true.

The major influence exercised by the commissioners' court over the county offices comes from a. their power of appointment. c. their budgetary powers. b. their power to remove county officials. d. their authority to pass ordinances.

Which of the following is not a power of a county judge? a. Performing marriage ceremonies b. Serving as the head of civil defense c. Exercising judicial authority over felony cases d. Conducting hearings for beer and wine permits

Which statement about a commissioners court is incorrect? a. Commissioner districts need not be drawn on the basis of the one-person, one-vote principle. b. Four county commissioners make up the membership of the court and are elected for four-year terms. c. Commissioners are elected in single-member districts. d. Commissioners are frequently referred to as road commissioners.

Commissioners are sometimes called __________ because they are responsible for the county roads and bridges within their precincts. a. little legislators c. president b. road commissioners d. administrators

The county sheriff has all of the following functions except a. law enforcement in the county. c. operates the city jail. b. hires deputies. d. delivers and executes court papers.

Who is the county law enforcement official elected to serve as the process officer of justice of the peace courts and also has general law enforcement powers? a. Sheriff c. Constable b. County judge d. Precinct judge

Which is considered a county's most important financial officer? a. The tax assessor-collector c. The auditor b. The treasurer d. The board of financial adjusters

When a county has a population of more than 8,000, which office assumes the county clerk's role as record keeper for the district courts even as the county clerk continues to maintain records for the constitutional county court and any county courts-at-law? a. County clerk c. District clerk b. County attorney d. County auditor

Which is not a reason why reformers recommend a short ballot with fewer elected county officials? a. They argue it would simplify structure with a single-county executive, which would allow voter to hold one high profile officer accountable. b. They contend that a chief county executive could coordinate county programs. c. They would be able to engage in long-range planning and eliminate duplication among various county offices. d. They fear that concentrating too much power in a single chief executive invites abuse and threatens personal liberty.

The unit road system does which of the following? a. Requires each county to spend the same amount on roads and bridges b. Allows each commissioner to have the same number of road crew in a given district c. Takes the day-to-day responsibility for roads away from individual county commissioners and places it in the hands of a professional engineer d. It can only be created by a petition from the voters.

Elected county officials hire county employees using a. the spoils system. c. appointive powers. b. the merit system. d. civil service.

_________ is the merging or joining of responsibilities by county and other local governments. a. Consolidation c. Unit system b. Submergence d. Accumulation

Which of the following is a dependent agency and not a special district? a. Crime control and prevention districts c. Weed control districts b. Navigation districts d. Airport authorities

Which statement about councils of government (COGs) is correct? a. Most of their members are municipal and county governments. b. They are not governments and have no jurisdiction over the various local governments within its borders. c. They are a voluntary grouping of governments that have not relinquished any of their self-government rights. d. All of the above are true.

The lessons learned from observing decision making in small cities in Texas a. are good for other small cities only. b. are usually only relevant to the city observed. c. apply to all cities but not state and national politics. d. apply to larger cities, states, and the national government as well.