Description
1. Explain how city managers try to balance the needs of the municipality with special jurisdictions work collaboratively to establish and deliver services. How do special issue/jurisdiction agencies work to assist municipal leaders? Provide three examples of how special jurisdictions were created to address issues that a municipal government could not.
2. Municipal governments are often financially challenged. Creating new laws and requirements by both federal and state governments place enhanced restraints on municipal functions. An example of this is the national law, Megan’s Law. This federal law requires that city service agencies monitor sex offenders. State laws provide definitions of what constitutes sex offenses. What are the pressures placed upon municipal agencies by the creation of this law? Do laws such as Megan’s Law reduce risk for the community or increase risk as police resources are diverted? Do federal driven criminal laws improve delivery of services by state or local public safety agencies?
3. How do municipal governments reflect democratic ideals? Are city governments more or less likely to reinforce democratic principles of reflected citizen intent and interests? How do city officials, whether they are elected or not, serve the welfare and concerns of the local population? In considering these questions, reflect on the City of Tucson, which uniquely has a significant amount of temporary residents who live in the city for a few months each year. How do part-time residents impact the local community in terms of its governance and representation?