Chapter 6 Part 2

Vocabulary

Local Government

land and permanent structures on the land

real property

movable items such as automobiles

personal property

the center of county government

county seat

the governing body for the county; consists of at least

three commissioners

county commission

the estimated worth of property

property assessment

a law

statute

a municipality that has its own government

incorporated city

a municipality that must rely upon county

government for such services as police and fire

protection

unincorporated city

a form of county government in which both the mayor and the city council are elected by the people; the mayor manages the city and

carries out the policies and ordinances set by the city council

mayor-council form

a district within a city

ward

a person who is the head of an organization but who

has no power

figurehead

a form of municipal government in which there is an elected city council, a mayor who is either

elected or designated by the council, and a city manager who is hired by

the council to handle the day-to- day operations of the city

council-manager form

a form of municipal government in which there

are three to five commissioners, each of whom heads a particular

department

commission form

a fee charged by municipalities for such

services as garbage removal, sewage disposal,

and police and fire protection

service fee

the name given to efforts by the state and local governments to

revitalize urban areas by replacing unsuitable housing and improving

transportation in parts of many cities

urban renewal

the governing body for a school district; consists of

five members

school board

self-governing

autonomous

the official who keeps the official records of the county (including the records of births, deaths, marriages,

and divorces), who is in charge of voter registration, and who supervises local elections

county clerk

the official who keeps the records for the circuit

court and who impanels juries

circuit clerk

the official who enforces the laws and who collects all property taxes paid in

the county

sheriff

the official responsible for determining the value of

property for tax purposes

assessor

the official who pursues legal action against wrongdoers

and represents other county officials in court

prosecuting attorney