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death penalty the sentence of a convicted individual to death (capital punishment).
methods include blood draining, carbon monoxide poisoning, and a firing squad.
counties responsibilities public safety, property tax collection, jails, transportation and
roads, elections, and environmental protection.
county government made up of a county judge, and a commissioner's court is made up
of four county commissioners. These commissioners serve four-year terms and represent
districts the must have equal populations.
county judges responsible for homeland security and emergency management in their
counties.
County Commissioners adopt a tax rate for the county, oversee a budget that they use to
establish public works projects, and maintain county buildings and facilities.
most large cities are home rule cities, giving them greater autonomy.
home rule cities a city that is allowed self-governance independent of state law. is
allowed to do anything unless prohibited by state law. any city in Texas with more than 5,000
people can become a home rule city.
charter a city's governing document
A city's charter establishes the form of government, sets the rules for operation and
amendment, and establishes procedures for taxing and spending city finances.
, initiative a process through which local voters can directly propose ordinances to city
charters
referendum a procedure through which local voters can repel resisting ordinances that a
city council won't rescind.
recall a process through which voters can oust sitting members of the city government
before their terms are up.
Annexation the joining of unincorporated land into existing city. the strongest power of a
home rule city.
special districts a single-purpose government that performs a specialized function. such
as education, water supply, economic development, or hospital care.
school districts, special improvement districts, junior/community college districts, library
districts, municipal utility districts, hospital districts, and homeowners' associations.
advantage and disadvantages of special districts they specialize in a single issue or set of
issues and allow residents to have input into local decisions. disadvantage is that they operate
outside the view of most citizens and is possible inefficiency of overlapping services provided by
city or county governments. often referred to as invisible governments.
city and county elections voters tend to have little interest in these elections, and voter
turnout is typically low.
county elections The county judge and commissioners are elected for 4 yr terms in
partisan elections.
place system an electoral system that carves a citywide area into separate district seats
for which voters elect council members.