Explainer: Municipal Elections and Local Government Structures
Local governments typically consist of counties and cities. County governments are a bridge between state and city governments, and city governments deal with the day-to-day of an area. Local elections (also called municipal elections) can be better understood in relation to state and federal elections. At the highest level, federal elections involve the whole country. During federal elections, people elect the President and members of Congress. State governments mimic the federal government on a smaller scale. Each State elects its State legislature and governor. Several other leadership positions at the State and Federal level are usually selected or approved by the legislatures, the President, or the Governor.
Local elections refer to county and city-wide elections for governmental positions in charge of the area - for example, the mayor of a small town.
County Government
In the hierarchy of government, County governments fall under State governments.
There are typically three types of County governments. All three types have a board of commissioners elected by the county's constituents. County residents typically elect 3-5 board members to serve 4-year terms. These positions are part-time, with little or no pay. Still, they significantly impact the county's constituents because of their decisions, including local taxes and on what improvement or development projects are prioritized for their term.
Commission Government
Also referred to as “board of commissioners or supervisors,” a commission government is the most common in US counties. The council plays both the executive and legislative roles for their county. They can adopt budgets, enact regulations, set policy direction, and select county officials.
Commission-Administrator Government
Instead of an elected administrator, the commission-administrator government appoints an administrator who serves at the board’s discretion. This role can range from being just a figurehead to the public to someone who has real responsibilities, such as drafting a budget or overseeing projects. The council has the same responsibilities as the commission government, just with the added help from an administrator to help administer and oversee the decisions made by the council.
Council-Executive Government
The council-executive government is slightly different from the first two types described above. Counties with this type of government also elect a county executive, typically the Chief Administrator. The county executive can veto legislation passed by the city council and is totally independent of them, thus providing a greater checks-balance system than the commission or commission-administrator governments.
Apart from the commission or council, a county also typically has four other important elected positions (Some counties appoint or combine these roles):
County Clerk (4-year term)
The county clerk is responsible for keeping official records of the county, including birth and death certificates and adoption. The clerk’s office issues licenses for marriages, automobiles, and businesses. Most importantly, the county clerk oversees elections.
Sheriff (4-year term)
A County Sheriff’s responsibilities vary from county to county. Most are elected, but some are appointed. Generally, a sheriff’s role is to provide law enforcement but their jurisdiction is limited in incorporated cities and towns within the county that have their own law enforcement offices.
County Attorney (Term depends on State)
Most commonly known as the district attorney, a county attorney is the legal representative for the county both for litigation brought against the county and/or to prosecute criminals within the county.
County Assessor (Term depends on State)
The county assessor is responsible for determining the value of residences within the county for property taxes. An assessor may periodically re-evaluate property values but does not assess or calculate new taxes.
City Government
A city is typically a subset of a county. When a large group of people come together and write a charter legally approved by their county and state governments, they get incorporated and formally become a city. Once a city is established, county and state governments flow down some local governmental responsibilities to the city government, such as transportation, snow plowing, or refuse collection.
Like counties, a city can also have four types of government structures:
Mayor-Council System
The mayor-council system is the most popular form of city government. The city residents elect two entities, the Mayor and the Council. In most situations, the Mayor can veto legislation passed by the Council, hire and fire department heads, and draft a budget.
Council-Manager System
The council-manager system appoints a non-political manager who carries out the council’s prescribed duties. This system works best in small cities where governing and decision-making are less formal and people know each other.
Commission System
Least used as a means of city government, cities that use the commission system elect a board of commissioners who directly perform city operations and oversee departments and agencies. If a manager or mayor is selected, it is merely a ceremonial position. Only 100 cities in America use this system, with Spokane, Washington, Des Moines, Iowa, and Birmingham, Alabama, being the most notable ones.
New England Town Government
Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine use the New England Town Hall model for governing their cities. In these States, cities, townships, or regions hold public town halls where all residents are invited to participate in the governing process. During these town halls, residents vote on important issues for their areas and may elect their commission, school board, advisors, etc. This governing model is becoming less popular since towns are growing in size and complexity.
Elections
There are typically four types of elections:
Primaries
Primaries are pre-elections held when several candidates registered with the same party run for the same office. During a primary, constituents elect the candidate from their party to run against the opposing party in the general election. Many municipal and local elections are nonpartisan races where candidates don’t register with a party; in this case, there is no primary election.
General Elections
The most popular general election we know of is the Presidential election. We know it happens every four years on the first Tuesday in November. All over the country, however, general elections are continuously happening for state, county, and city-elected candidates. For instance, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, there is a general election for city council on February 14, 2023.
Runoff Elections
In some cases, if an election is too close to call or no candidate wins a majority of votes, a runoff election is scheduled between the top two vote-getters to determine the outright winner of the election. Rules for runoffs differ by state, but they typically happen within a month or two of the election that triggered it.
Special Elections
Special elections are held when an official can no longer serve. This may happen when someone resigns, dies, or gets removed from office. Voters must select someone to replace that person.
The timing of all four types of elections varies by state. To find out which elections are coming up in your state, please bookmark this page in your browser.
With so many elected officials and federal, state, county, and city elections all happening at different times in different states, it is difficult to keep up with every election and every issue that a candidate supports or opposes. However, local elections are crucial in shaping the issues and factors that affect everyday life, and more participation leads to more representation.
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References and Further Reading:
Ballotpedia, United States municipal elections, 2023
Ballotpedia, Statewide Primary Elections
Kathleen Sears, American Government 101, Adams Media, Chapter - State Legislatures, pg.236, 2016
Kathleen Sears, American Government 101, Adams Media, Chapter - County Government, pg.240, 2016
Kathleen Sears, American Government 101, Adams Media, Chapter - City and Town Government , pg.244, 2016
Carissa Lytle and Jara Kearn, The Infographic Guide to American Government, Adams Media, Chapter - State Government, pg 106, 2016
Carissa Lytle and Jara Kearn, The Infographic Guide to American Government, Adams Media, Chapter - County Government, pg 108, 2016
Carissa Lytle and Jara Kearn, The Infographic Guide to American Government, Adams Media, Chapter - City Government, pg 110, 2016
