Spotlighting municipal goverments in Texas - Research Paper Example

The paper will also consider the policies put in place by the city’s government to promote economic growth in the city. Houston is the largest city in Texas. It is also the fourth largest city in the whole of the United States of America. The form of government in the city of Houston is a strong and stable mayoral form of municipal government. There is devolution of power from the central Texas government to the city, in which the municipal government sets up rules that are relevant to the city.

The city council in Houston consists of three major categories of officials, that is, the mayor, the city controller and 16 members of the city council. The city mayor holds several functions that include but not limited to The city’s chief administrator An executive officer to the city council An official representative of the city in the central government The general manager of the city Ensuring that law and order are enforced within the city The city controller, on the other hand, performs mainly the function of certifying the funds available to the city council before these funds are used and/or disbursements are processed.

The 16 members of the city council operate in conjunction with the city’s mayor. . The elections of the city officials are culturally non-partisan, in which the party affiliation of a particular candidate, plays an inferior role in his/her election. Elections are carried out after every two years for all the city officials (mayor, city controller or council members), and they can serve to a maximum of three terms in office. The city controller’s election is customarily independent of the election of the mayor and the city council members.

For the 16 council members, elections from districts contribute eleven members while the remaining five are at large, elected by all voters of the city (Feld and Donald 896) The fact that the districts, as well as the city at large, participate in the elections of the city council officials, it implies that these are very strong positions. The eleven council members from the districts represent the districts at large, indicating that the views of the citizens in these districts have a representation at any council meeting.

The mayor’s position is a very strong seat given the powers bestowed upon him/her from the Houston’s 1991 referendum (the roles listed above). The mayor’s role as the chief executive officer, as well as the city’s chief administrator, makes him/her an important official in ensuring a progressive development in the city. The city’s ratio of revenue spending to available resources balance is a crucial role the mayor must give a consideration (Feld and Donald 912). The issuance of social services like schools, health facilities, recreation, and security has at times been a challenge to many cities.

Financial issues like health insurance, pensions, and employee pay also add up to the many challenges that