THE NUMBER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE U. S.
The Constitution of the United States of America does not mention local governments; local governments are created by and regulated by the states. This means that to speak about cities or other forms of local government in the United States is to speak about fifty different legal and political situations.
The Bureau of Census is responsible for collecting statistics on governments in the United States. It conducts the Census of Governments every five years, as required by law under Title 13, United States Code, Section 161.
In the 2002 Census of Governments, the Bureau of the Census identified a total 87,525 local governments. Separated by the five categories used by the Bureau of Census, there are:
- 19,429 Municipal governments;
- 16,504 Town or Township governments;
- 3,034 County governments;
- 13,506 School districts; and
- 35,052 Special district governments.
Municipal government
The term "municipal government" applies to what are commonly called cities or towns. The Census Bureau defines "municipal governments" as:
"political subdivisions with which a municipal corporation has been established under state law to provide general local government for a specific population concentration in a defined area, and includes all active government units officially designated as cities, boroughs (except in Alaska), towns (except in the six New England States, and in Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin) and villages."
Town or Township government
The distinction between municipal and township governments is based primarily on the historical circumstances. Their responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. The Bureau of Census applies the term "town or township governments" to governments in 20 states:
Connecticut Minnesota Ohio
Illinois Missouri Pennsylvania
Indiana Nebraska Rhode Island
Kansas New Hampshire South Dakota
Maine New Jersey Vermont
Massachusetts New York Wisconsin
Michigan North Dakota
County government
Counties are authorized in state constitutions and statutes and provide general government services. Forty-eight of the fifty states have county governments, although they are called parishes in Louisiana and boroughs in Alaska. Connecticut and Rhode Island are the two states without functioning county governments.
School Districts
School district governments are organized local entities providing public elementary, secondary, and/or higher education. The Census of Governments only counts independent school districts, which are the sole form of public schools in 33 states. Twelve other states have a mix of independent schools and other schools that are agencies of the county, municipal or state government. Four states, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and New Jersey, only have state-dependent school systems.
Some public schools have some or all of their board members appointed by the mayor and/or governor, according to the Education Commission on the States.
For more information: City School Districts
Special District government
Special district governments are independent, special-purpose governmental units that exist as separate entities with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from general-purpose governments. They provide specific services that are not being supplied by the general-purpose governments such as fire protection, water supply, or sewerage services. In some cases, they have separate authority to tax and levy fees.
Source:
2002 Census of Governments. Volume 1, Number 1, Government Organization. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census