City/County Government and School Boards
“It’s time to start bringing the congregations down to City Hall and to ask the mayors, the city councils and the school boards, ‘What’s the plan? What’s the local government going to do for us?’” ~ Van Jones
Keys to Local Government
Here are our main keys to local government:
- In Delaware most municipalities (e.g., city, town, or village) and County Governments use a “weak mayor” system where the city council has more power and often appoints a professional manager to oversee daily operations (exception is the City of Wilmington and New Castle County which have a “strong mayor” system).
- Municipal governments vary in their responsibilities, but in general focus on: public safety, city planning and zoning, parks and recreation, public works, and utilities.
- County governments vary in their responsibilities, but in general focus on: public safety, land use, housing tax assessments, and zoning.
- School boards focus on: setting the local yearly budget, influencing school district policy, negotiating with district unions, and overseeing the superintendent’s performance.
Municipal Government
Overview
In Delaware a municipality could be called a city, town, or village. If you do not live in a municipality, then you are in an unincorporated community and fall under the jurisdiction of your county government.
Governance
The makeup of a municipal government will vary. However, here are some common mayor and city council attributes.
Most municipal governments in Delaware follow a “weak mayor” system (i.e., where the city council has more power and often appoints a professional city manager to oversee the daily operations of the municipality). For example, Dover City Council selects the city manager and other positions who report to the council, while the mayor acts as chief promoter of the city.
Much less common in Delaware is the “strong mayor” system (i.e., where the mayor has more power and can make some decisions and implement projects independently of the municipal council). For example, the Mayor of Wilmington is a full-time position and has clear executive powers and responsibilities, such as selecting municipal staff and commissioners.
City council members focus on responding to constituent concerns in their geographical areas and hold committee leadership positions. The city councils’ primary role is to work on the budget and set policy, in addition to their constituent work.
Responsibilities
Municipal governments in Delaware focus on the following areas, though this can vary based on the municipality (i.e., some municipalities may have private businesses operate some of these services):
1. Public safety
- Police
- Fire protection
- Emergency response
2. City planning
- Zoning (i.e., regulating how land can be used and developed, such as for business, residential, or heavy industry)
- Long-term planning and development
3. Parks and Recreation
- Park creation and maintenance
- Summer youth employment opportunities
4. Utilities
- Water
- Waste treatment
- Garbage removal
5. Public works
- Street and road maintenance
- Engineering and survey work
6. Other
- Taxes and fees
- Licenses and inspections
County Government
Overview
County Governments are similar to municipalities in terms of their structure and general responsibilities. They just serve a larger geographic area and focus even more closely on land use issues. If you do not live in a municipality, then you are in an unincorporated community and fall under the jurisdiction of your county government.
In Delaware we have three county governments: Kent County Levy Court (the name comes from its founding focus on levying taxes), New Castle County Government, and Sussex County Government.
Governance
In Delaware, Kent/Sussex County are similar to the weak mayor system mentioned earlier. In this system, the county council appoints a full-time administrator to handle the day-to-day operations.
New Castle County operates similar to the strong mayor system in that there is an elected County Executive (i.e., similar to a mayor) who is an elected full-time administrator.
County council members focus on responding to constituent concerns in their geographical areas and hold committee leadership positions. The county councils’ primary role is to work on the budget, set policy, and constituent work.
Responsibilities
County Governments in Delaware focus on the following areas (with some differences between counties):
1. Land Use
- Set land use policy and plans.
- Decide land use applications for permits and zoning adjustments.
2. Economic Development
- Develop innovative opportunities to market the county as a viable option for business.
- Foster growth within the small and medium size business sector by supporting entrepreneurialism.
- Act as a liaison between the public and business development service providers.
3. Community Services
- Administer social services for community development and housing (i.e., income-based housing, summer jobs program, etc.).
- Manage county libraries and parks (including training and outreach programs).
- Distribute Federal Funding for social impact programs.
4. Other services
- Responsible for design and construction of county buildings, parks and sanitary sewer infrastructure, operation of wastewater pumping stations, wastewater treatment plants.
- Manage the upkeep of county-owned buildings, parks, vehicles and non-office equipment.
- Keep property records.
- Set housing tax assessments and zoning maps.
School Boards
Overview
A school board is a group of elected or appointed citizens who have the authority to supervise and set policy for the public schools within their respective districts. This board of elected or appointed volunteers (Delaware school board members are unpaid) sets the vision for schools in their district and the Superintendent reports to them. Their decisions have an impact on the quality of education across our state.
Governance
In Delaware, we have nineteen school boards all across the state and they vary greatly in size. For example, some school districts’ budgets are as low as $15 million while some are over $250 million.
School boards are similar to the weak mayor system in that the school board selects a district superintendent who handles the day-to-day management of the school district, while the members focus on long-term policies and budgets.
In general, each school board member is elected from a specific geographic area within the district while some are elected at-large. Most school boards have a president and vice-president of the school board.
Responsibilities
School boards in Delaware focus on the following areas:
- Set the yearly budget and oversee millions of taxpayer funds.
- Influence the policies that govern everything in a district from its annual budget to school lunch, classroom curricula, and facilities projects.
- Negotiate with district unions to adopt collective bargaining agreements that impact teacher and staff pay.
- Oversee the performance of the superintendent.
Contact Local Officials
Want to talk to a local official about an issue or find out what they’re working on? Here is how to contact your local officials.
- City/County Council – Go to myreps.datamade.us and type in your address to find your city/council member.
- School board – Go to xqsuperschool.org/school-board-lookup and type in your address to find your school board member. It will highlight the subdistrict you are in and then you may then to cross-check that with the school board website to see which school board member represents that number or letter.