Civics Today: Citizenship, Economics & You © 2008

"City Government"

Introduction
North Carolina's local governments are sometimes referred to as "creatures of the state" because the General Assembly creates them and decides what authority and responsibility they have. 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 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 North Carolina.
• 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			What types of issues or budget matters is the city addressing?
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.