Which level of government does these things?

Determines marriage laws Builds new schools Repairs streets and removes snow from

streets Picks up your trash and provides you water Determines hunting laws and gun laws. Attracts new businesses into town to

provide jobs. Catches and confines criminals in our city. Provides facilities for our youth athletic

teams. Provides for dog license and fishing

license. Determines who can teach, practice

medicine, sell real estate, practice law and drive.

Taxes our gasoline, cigarettes, cell phones, cars, income and provides for a sale tax.

Why?

If it is State and Local Government that provides all the items on the previous slide, then why do we focus all our attention on the Federal Government and National Politics and so little on State and Local??????????????????????????????

Quick lesson on Geography of Virginia

3 Branches of Government

1. Executive---Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General

2. Legislature---General Assembly of Virginia

3. Judicial---The State Supreme Court and all other state courts.

Executive Branch The Governor is Bob McDonnell (R) The Governor of Virginia may not

succeed him or herself. Mills Godwin is the only Governor of Virginia to be elected twice.

Governors must be 30 years old. Governors must be a resident of Va. and

a registered voter in Va. for the 5 years preceding the election.

The Governors most important responsibility is to prepare the state budget every two years.

The Governor has the power to grant reprieves, pardons, and commutations.

Executive Branch continued

The Governor appoints ten Secretaries to help him/her run the State Government---Ex. Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Education

The Governor is the Commander in Chief of the State National Guard and State Police.

The Governor has the power to veto legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly.

The Governor of Va. has the power of item veto. The Governor of Va. has a mansion in Richmond

provided for his or her family.

Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell

Executive Branch ContinuedLt. Governor

Currently the Lt. Governor is Bill Bolling a republican. This is his second term

The Lt. Governor has very few powers.

Presides over the State Senate but can only vote if there is a tie. (Remember the V.P.)

Qualifications are the same as the Governor.

No restrictions on the number of terms.

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia---Bill Bowling

Executive BranchAttorney General

Ken Cuccenelli is the Attorney General he is a republican

Qualifications are the same as the Governor.

No restrictions on number of terms. The Attorney General of Virginia is

elected to represent the state or any of its agencies in civil or criminal cases before the courts.

Attorney General of Virginia Ken Cuccinelli

Legislative Branch of Va.The General Assembly

The oldest continuous law making body in the new world. First met in Jamestown in 1619.

Bicameral—State Senate of Virginia 40 members House of Delegates of Virginia 100 members. State is divided into 40 State Senatorial Districts and 100 House of Delegate Districts.

Greg Habeeb is your Delegate-republican (8th District)

Ralph Smith is your State Senator-republican (22nd. District----changing)

Terms in the House of Delegates- 2 years—no term limits---Terms in State Senate- 4 years– no term limits

Ralph Smith---your State Senator.

Virginia House of Delegate Districts

Northern Virginia House of Delegate Districts

General Assembly continued

Currently there are 44 Democrats, 2 Independents, and 53 Republicans in the House of Delegates. (1 vacancy)

Currently there are 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans in the State Senate.

General Assembly continued General Assembly of Virginia is a part

time job. It meets beginning on the second

Wednesday in January for 60 days on even numbered years, and 30 days on odd numbered years.

Sessions can be extended and often are.

Special Sessions are used to see if they can override a Gubernatorial (Governors) veto.

Pay is $18,000 a year in the Senate and $17,640 in the House of Delegates.

Budget of Virginia

Four big ticket items for Virginia and all other states: education, medication, transportation, incarceration.

State Court System of Virginia

State Supreme Court State Appeals Court State Circuit Courts State District Courts State Juvenile and Domestic

Relations Court

Judicial Branch of Virginia State Supreme Court is highest court in Va. The State Supreme Court of Va. has 7 Justices. Justices are elected by a joint vote of the General

Assembly to a 12 year term. The next level down in the Va. Court System is the Va.

Court of Appeals----10 Judges elected by General Assembly for a term of 8 years.

Circuit Courts of Va. have both original and appellate jurisdiction. There 31 Circuits in Va.. Circuit Courts are felony trial courts.---Judges elected by General Assembly for a term of 8 years.

General District Courts hear all misdemeanors and small civil cases. Cases are heard by a judge without a jury. You may appeal a decision to the Circuit Court.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations court hears cases involving juveniles and problems that might develop within a family.

Local Government

Local Government in Virginia

Local Governments are organized differently from state to state. Instead of counties, Louisiana has Parishes. In New England, instead of towns they have villages.

All local governments have been created by the states in which they are found.

Salem

Salem founded in 1802 Given charter as a town in 1806 in

county of Botetourt Given charter as a city in 1968. School system broke with Roanoke

County in 1982. City owns and operates: water

system, electric distribution system, and sewage system.

Local GovernmentSalem

Virginia has 3 types of local governments—they are all created by the state and they are granted charters by the General Assembly.

Counties---separate and independent Cities---separate and independent Towns---part of counties.

Virginia Cities Alexandria, Virginia Bedford, Virginia Bristol, Virginia Buena Vista, Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Chesapeake, Virginia Colonial Heights, Virginia Covington, Virginia Danville, Virginia Emporia, Virginia Fairfax, Virginia Falls Church, Virginia Franklin, Virginia Fredericksburg, Virginia Galax, Virginia Hampton, Virginia Harrisonburg, Virginia Hopewell, Virginia Lexington, Virginia Lynchburg, Virginia Manassas, Virginia Manassas Park, Virginia Martinsville, Virginia Newport News, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia Norton, Virginia Petersburg, Virginia Poquoson, Virginia Portsmouth, Virginia Radford, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Roanoke, Virginia Salem, Virginia Staunton, Virginia Suffolk, Virginia Virginia Beach, Virginia Waynesboro, Virginia Williamsburg, Virginia Winchester, Virginia

Counties in Virginia---99

Cities in Virginia Cities are governed by City Councils

elected by the people in that city. Salem elects 5 council members at

large to four year terms and meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month)

The Mayor of Salem is considered as one of the Council members. The Mayor is Randy Foley, other council members are John Givens, Jane Johnson, Lisa Garst, Bill Jones

Salem City Council—next meetings May 11, June 8, July

13 From left to right—Bill Jones, Jane

Johnson, Randy Foley, Lisa Garst, and John Givens

City Managers

City Councils hire a City Manager to run the city from day to day. They are responsible for all city departments except schools (examples: Recreation, Streets, Water and Sewage).

Salem’s City Manager is Kevin Boggess

Assistant is Jay Taliaferro

Salem City Manager Kevin Boggess

Schools in Salem

The City Council of Salem appoints a School Board ( in some counties School Board members are elected)

Salem City School Board---Sally Southard, Cynthia Neathawk, Artice Ledbetter, Michael Chiglinsky, and David Preston

The School Board hires an expert to actually run the schools on a day to day basis. This person is called a Superintendent---Dr. Allan Seibert.

Other elected officials in Salem--all except Chance up for

election Nov. 3 –no opponents1. Commissioner of the Revenue Linda Carroll 2. City Sheriff-----Ric Atkins3. Commonwealth Attorney-Thomas Bowers4. Treasurer—Bonnie McCormick (not

pictured)5. Clerk of Court –Chance Crawford (not

pictured)

City Revenue The City Treasurer is responsible for the

safeguarding of all city funds which includes the investment of city revenue and the collection of revenue (money).

Two most important sources of Revenue

1. real estate taxes2. personal property taxesOther Sources of Revenue for Salem bank stock, public utility, meals and

lodging taxes as well as business licenses, all miscellaneous charges, fees, permits and issuing auto decals and dog licenses.

Taxes and Spending in Salem Real Property Tax---a tax on land and building

on the land--$1.18 per $100 of value example: $200,000 tax is $2,360.

Personal Property Tax---a tax on cars---$3.20 per $100 of value. The state has reduced this burden on Va. residents by 70% by reimbursing local governments for part of the tax. Therefore if your car is valued at 10,000 you owe $320---however since the state reimburses 70% you actually owe $96.

Besides taxes on real and personal property Salem has a restaurant tax, an entertainment tax, tobacco tax, and cell phone tax

The number one expense for all local governments in Virginia is education.---50.7% of the Salem budget per year.

Counties in Virginia In Counties the people elect a Board of

Supervisors that do the same thing as City Councils.

Usually these Supervisors represent a particular part of the county—they are not elected at large.

The Board of Supervisors hire an expert to run the county called a County Manger. They are responsible for all County Departments except education.

The people of Va. Counties usually elect a School Board who then appoints a Superintendent of Schools.