Test 4: Ch 10,11,12,13
A major factor in the increase in preemption is the partisan split between the Texas legislature, controlled by Republicans, and major city governments, controlled by Democrats. True False
True
Community colleges in Texas are allotted their own special purpose districts. True False
True
County governments are most important for administering rural areas throughout Texas. True False
True
Fewer than 10 percent of eligible voters in Texas cast ballots in special purpose district elections. True False
True
Home-rule cities in Texas are able to set a maximum property tax rate of $2.50 per $100 valuation. False True
True
One of the proposed changes to public pensions in Texas is to increase the required years of service to be eligible to receive a pension. False True
True
One problem with special purpose districts is that sometimes local government officials work in relative obscurity, avoiding media and public scrutiny. True False
True
San Antonio and Dallas both have council-manager forms of government. True False
True
The primary sources of funding for special purpose districts in Texas are property taxes and user fees. False True
True
A major source of revenue for independent school districts in Texas is: a. Property tax b. Sales tax c. Personal income tax d. Corporate income tax
a
Cities and towns in Texas often see rapid population growth. Such growth requires school districts to quickly expand. In this type of situation, school districts use __________________ to borrow the necessary funds to achieve this goal. a. capital appreciation bonds (CABs) b. capital investment bonds (CIBs) c. general obligation bonds (GOBs) d. revenue anticipation notes (RANs)
a
In Texas, lesser criminal cases are generally prosecuted by _______________, while the more serious criminal cases tend to be prosecuted by ______________. a. county attorneys; district attorneys b. prosecutors working for local government; prosecutors working for state government c. retired judges; public defenders d. general prosecutors; state attorneys
a
One goal of the deferred retirement option plan (DROP) was to a. keep Dallas police officers and firefighters working on the job instead of retiring and collecting their pension after 20 years of service. b. allow firefighters and police officers in the large cities to delay retirement to 30 years of service, but receive a bigger pension. c. encourage teachers to work for more than 20 years to receive a larger pension from the state. d. allow state employees to privately invest their retirement
a
Special purpose districts were initially designed to help develop poor and rural areas of Texas. However, many people are now concerned that the system is being abused because a. real estate developers have figured out a way to develop the infrastructure for new developments but pass the costs on to future owners of the property. b. there is a lack of coordination and cooperation between agencies responsible for dealing with natural disasters such as fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. c. the spe
a
The governing body for Texas counties is the a. commissioners court. b. council of county managers. c. municipal governments. d. national government. e. justice of the peace.
a
What is a key problem with counties in Texas? a. Many of them are too small and underpopulated to function well. b. County laws were made in the twentieth century, making them too old-fashioned. c. Too often the county seats cannot be reached in a day's drive. d. There is too much uniformity in the size and population of most counties.
a
What is preemption? a. The legislature's power to overrule ordinances or actions of local home-rule cities. b. A form of county government that allows constables and sheriffs to expand their customary law enforcement duties. c. A form of home rule that gives cities greater autonomy. d. The power of special non-school districts to issue bonds to pay for construction and infrastructure improvements.
a
If you live outside city limits, water, sewer, sanitation, and electricity services are offered by a. county utility districts (CUDs). b. auxiliary utility districts (AUDs). c. federal utility districts (FUDs). d. municipal utility districts (MUDs).
d
What is the composition of a Texas county commissioner's court? a. a three-judge panel appointed by the governor, and four county commissioners who are each elected to represent about one-quarter of the population of the county b. five county commissioners who are appointed by the governor to represent the whole county, with one member appointed county judge c. a district clerk and six county commissioners, half appointed by the governor and half voted in countywide elections d. a county judge
d
What type of government is called hidden government because people often do not know it exists? a. state government b. city government c. county government d. special purpose districts
d
According to the Texas Constitution, only the Texas legislature is permitted to borrow money using capital appreciation bonds. True False
False
All Texas county commissioners' court have original jurisdiction for cases involving violation of county laws. False True
False
All cities in Texas with pension funds have sufficient funding to meet their obligations to be able to pay retirees. False True
False
All large cities in Texas have structures of government that give strong executive powers to the mayor. True False
False
Cities in Texas are primarily responsible for providing indigent health care. True False
False
Commissioner governments are designed to run school districts and other special purpose districts throughout Texas. True False
False
Constables are appointed by the county sheriff. False True
False
In Texas, special purpose districts are run by a board of trustees appointed by the governor. True False
False
In Texas, the county commissioners' court is responsible for prosecuting violations of law that occur outside of the city limits but within the county lines. True False
False
In order to be a general-law city in Texas, the population of the city must be larger than 5,000. True False
False
One of the problems with Texas government is that there are no regional councils that promote coordinated planning across local governments. False True
False
Since each county in Texas is required under the one person, one vote doctrine to have approximately the same number of residents, county lines must be redrawn every ten years as part of the redistricting process after the census. False True
False
Since most county officials in Texas are appointed, they are only accountable to the members of the county commissioners' court. True False
False
Suppose you were trying to reform your city's government so that it better reflected the ethnic and racial diversity of your city and with leadership that is more accountable to voters. Which of the following forms of city government would most likely achieve these goals? a. a commissioner form of government with at-large elections b. a commissioner form of government operating under a general-law framework c. a mayor-council form of government with single-member districts d. a council-manager
not b
What is the function of the 24 councils of government in Texas today? a. They are a regional board meant to coordinate local planning and development. b. They are a tax board meant to establish local property tax rates. c. They are an administrative board that runs utility districts in rural areas. d. They are a board that establishes new special purpose districts when needed.
a
What is the main difference between Texas' home-rule cities and general-law cities? a. A general-law city is chartered for localities with a population of fewer than 5,000 persons. b. A general-law city has no power to set the property tax. c. A general-law city does not have a mayor. d. A general-law city is the name for all cities incorporated after 1901.
a
Which of the following statements about county government in Texas is accurate? a. County government in Texas varies in importance; some areas rely on it heavily, others much less so. b. County government in Texas is fairly consistent in its size and duties. c. County government is the most important level of government in urban areas in Texas. d. The main roles of county government have to do with running school districts and coordinating across multiple levels of government.
a
________ is a unit of government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area. a. A special district b. The county government c. A single-member district d. The local government
a
According to the Dillon Rule doctrine, a. in a weak-mayor system, the mayor does not have a vote at city council meetings. b. general-law cities and towns are much more constrained than home-rule cities, and cannot take any action unless explicitly authorized by a law passed by the state. c. home-rule cities must publish all proposed ordinances and regulations at least 90 days before they go into effect. d. city council members elected in single-member districts must live in the district that t
b
Flood control is managed through special purpose districts because a. the Galveston hurricane of 1900 revealed the inefficiency and slowness of state government in responding to local disasters. b. flooding is seldom contained to a single city or county in Texas. c. the Texas Constitution forbids both cities and the state from spending money on flood prevention. d. most cities do not have the infrastructure to handle large flooding.
b
In Texas, ________ create(s) special purpose districts. a. the Texas legislature b. Texas voters in the areas that will be covered c. the governor d. the county commissioners' court, with local voter approval
b
In a mayor-council form of government, the mayor ____________________ while the city council __________________. a. serves for a six-year term in office; serves for a three-year term in office b. serves as chief executive officer of the city; serves as the legislative body for the city c. is responsible for setting the tax rate for the city; selecting the individual to serve as mayor d. is a symbolic position without any real power; has both executive and legislative powers
b
In large Texas counties, the ________ prepares the county budget. a. clerk b. auditor c. constable d. sheriff
b
In the commissioner form of government, a. the elected city council performs the legislative functions, and also appoints a commissioner to perform the executive functions. b. the legislative and executive functions are performed by the elected commissioners. c. the elected commission has legislative power, while the elected mayor has executive power. d. the elected mayor shares executive power with the appointed commissioner, while the city council has legislative power.
b
Mayors are elected using at-large elections because a. it is an unpaid position and must use a special kind of election. b. they represent the entire geographical area of the city rather than one specific district. c. local elections must be conducted using at-large elections. d. non-partisan elections must be at-large elections.
b
One of the most important social services provided by Texas counties is a. indigent defense. b. indigent health care. c. public utilities. d. public schools.
b
Special districts in Texas are primarily paid for by revenue generated by a. income taxes and sales taxes b. property taxes and user fees c. sales taxes and federal grants d. income taxes and user fees
b
The chief law-enforcement officer in Texas' county governments is the a. city police chief. b. sheriff. c. justice of the peace. d. constable.
b
The debate over preemption between local self-governance and control by the state government in Texas echoes which of the following: a. debates between home-rule cities and general-law cities about property rates and school funding b. debates between the state governments and the federal government about which level of government should make governing decisions c. debates between the counties and the cities about who is responsible for road maintenance d. debates between home-rule cities and un
b
What happens when a city council uses single-member districts? a. The city council selects the mayor on a rotating basis from each of the different districts. b. Each member of the city council represents a specific "district" of the city and is elected by residents of that geographical area. c. Voters are limited in terms of where they can cast a ballot on election day for city council elections. d. The city council must also use a city manager who will look at issues from the perspective of t
b
What is the level of popularity of the commissioner system of city government in Texas today? a. It is the most popular form of city government in Texas. b. No city in Texas today has a pure commissioner system, but a handful claim a variation of the system. c. Commissioner systems have never been used in Texas. d. While less popular than the mayor-council system, the commissioner system is used by more than 100 cities in Texas today.
b
Who collects the taxes owed to a Texas county? a. county auditor b. county tax assessor-collector c. county treasurer d. county clerk
b
Who is responsible for construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges in Texas? a. county constables b. county commissioners c. county managers d. county sheriffs
b
Why are Texas counties important? a. They have very broad governmental powers. b. They provide the main form of government in rural areas. c. They act as legislative bodies, making most of the local laws. d. They create and regulate cities.
b
A ________ form of government is one in which public policies are developed by the city council and executive and administrative functions are assigned to a professional city manager. a. mayor-city manager b. commissioner c. council-manager d. council mayor
c
A school district is a. established by each incorporated city. b. ruled by the federal government in Washington, D.C. c. a special district. d. administered by the county commissioners' court.
c
As the number of urban areas grew in the state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the management of local affairs became such a growing burden on the Texas legislature that it passed the a. County Charter Bill of 1958. b. General-Law City Charter Amendment in 1930. c. Home-Rule Charter Amendment in 1912. d. City Charter Ordinance of 1898.
c
Community college districts and fire-prevention districts are examples of a. government service districts. b. essential service districts. c. non-school special purpose districts. d. municipal service districts.
c
Employee pensions are an issue for all levels of government in Texas. Which of the following is a change that has been recently implemented as a way to make pension plans more economically sound? a. decreased years of service required b. privatized accounts c. increased retirement age d. reduced employee contribution
c
If you live in a city that can set property tax rates up to $2.50 per $100 valuation and may have the power to annex land adjacent to the city, then you live in a city governed by a. general law of incorporation. b. constitutional charter. c. home-rule charter. d. municipal ordinance.
c
If you want to get married and need to get a marriage license, or need to get a copy of a birth or death certificate, which office do you need to contact? a. the county auditor where you are getting married, or where the death or birth occurred b. the district clerk where you are getting married, or where the death or birth occurred c. the county clerk where you are getting married, or where the death or birth occurred d. the Secretary of State's office
c
In Texas, county governments are responsible for which of the following tasks? a. administration of school districts b. administration of ordinances and regulations c. administration of social services d. administration of water districts
c
Which of the following forms of government is the most common in home rule cities in Texas? a. strong mayor-council b. commissioners court c. council-manager d. tribunal form e. weak mayor-council
c
Which of the following is the most common form of local government in Texas? a. municipal government b. city government c. special districts d. county government
c