A short overview of Virginia's local governments for my Civics class. It's designed to be used with cloze-style notes; students write down the underlined words as we discuss the powerpoint.

1. Virginia’s Local Governments Powers and People

2. First, some review… Because of Dillon’s Rule, all powers of the local governments come from the state. Specifically, their powers come from the Constitution of Virginia and acts of the General Assembly.

3. All Local Governments… Have Legislative Powers Enact Ordinances (Local Laws) Adopt Annual Budgets But the specific powers in each locality can vary.

4. Charters (not of the VA Company) Cities and Towns have charters, that have been approved by the General Assembly. They list the powers and structure of the city or town. They are kind of like a constitution for the city or town.

5. What do they do? 1. They enforce state and local laws.

6. What do they do? 2. Promote PublicHealth

7. What do they do? 3. Protect PublicSafety

8. What do they do? Educate Children Counties and Cities have a schoolboard which oversees the operation of the K-12 public schools. Members are elected or appointed.

9. What do they do? 5. Protect the Environment

10. What do they do? Regulate Land Use Develop long-term land use plans. Determine if land should be public or private. Zone land as residential, agricultural, industrial, or business.

11. What do they do? Levy and Collect Taxes May not collect income tax. Get money from fees, sales tax, and property taxes.

12. National and International Events Local Governments must often respond to national and international events. How might a local government respond to: Terrorist attacks Pandemics Recessions Global Warming

13. People Sheriff—sole law enforcer in rural areas. Provides security for courthouses and manages the jails. ClerkoftheCircuitCourt—official keeper of all court documents and public records. CommissionerofRevenue—chief tax assessing officer

14. People Treasurer—collects revenue, dispenses money, and keeps track of funds. CityManager—oversees the operations of the local government. The Constitution of Virginia states that the Sheriff, Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Commissioner of Revenue, and the Treasurer must all by elected by the people.

15. Why’s this important? Individuals can have the greatest influence on the decisions made by local government officials. AND Individuals are most affected by the decisions made by local governments.