Civics Today Citizenship, Economics, & You

"City Government"

Introduction
During the twentieth century many Americans moved to cities. City governments supply a variety of services to the people who live in them and to those who come to them to work or shop. In the United States there are three basic types of city government. In this chapter you read about those forms of local government. In this lesson you will learn more about your own city’s government.

Destination Title: United States Conference of Mayors

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Directions
Start at the U.S. Mayors Web site.

• Scroll to the bottom and click on Meet the Mayors.
• Click on Cities Online.
• Choose your state.
• Select your city or the one closest to you.
• Navigate through the relevant links on the Web site.

1			What type of city government do you have?
2			Who is the mayor?
3			How many city council or commission members are there?
4			When does city council meet? What new ordinances or budget matters are they considering?
5			Make a list of local issues that concern you. Write a two-minute speech about one of the local issues you have identified that you could present at the next city council meeting. Deliver your speech to the class.