Local Government in Connecticut, Third Edition

8. Federal Government’s Role in Local Government

ChApTEr 8 Federal Government’s Role in Local Government The relationship between the federal government, the states, and local governments (towns, cities, and counties) is an interesting mix. The Constitution distributes authority and powers between the central government and the states—giving to both substantial responsibilities and powers, including the power to establish and collect taxes, establish user fees and charges for services, and to pass and enforce laws regulating the conduct of citizens. Nowhere are municipalities mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. The term “federalism” or “federal system” refers to this system of shared powers between the national and state governments. The mere existence of both national and state governments does not make a system federal. What is important is that the U.S. Constitution divides governmental powers between the national government and smaller regional governments or states, giving clearly defined functions to each. Neither the central government nor the states receive theirs powers from the other. Both levels of government derive their powers from a common source, the U.S. Constitution. No act of legislation at either the national or the state level can change this constitutional distribution of powers. The following list shows the number of governments in the United States at all levels. The various levels of government include national, state, county, municipal, townships and towns, school districts, and special districts. The number at each level and type of government was determined by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006. The United States has approximately 87,000 governments. Here is the breakdown: • national—1 • townships or towns—16,504 • states—50 • school districts—13,506 • counties—3,034 • special districts—35,052 • municipalities—19,429 54 Local Government in Connecticut Federal Government Structure It is important to provide an overview of how the federal government is organized and operates at all three of its levels. This provides the appropriate background information on how the national government affects state and local governments. Some of the constitutional divisions of power between the national and state governments are highlighted below. The National Government • regulates trade and interstate commerce; • makes declarations of war; • creates post offices; and • coins money. The State Governments • create local governments; • police citizens; and • oversee primary and elementary education. Concurrent Powers of National and State Governments Include • imposing and collecting taxes and fees; • borrowing and spending money; • establishing courts; • enacting and enforcing laws; • protecting civil rights; • conducting elections; and • protecting the public’s health and welfare. Federalism and Local Governments Lower levels of government are affected by the federal government in many ways. In addition to existing and newly adopted laws and regulations, federal grants have had a major impact, both financially and operationally, on states, and to a lesser degree, indirectly on local governments (such as counties, cities, and towns). The federal government does not provide direct federal aid to municipalities, but rather, uses specific grants. From a grant standpoint, there are primarily three types of federal grants: categorical grants, project grants, and block grants. These three major types of federal grants are briefly described below: Federal Government’s Role in Local Government 55 • Categorical grants—The national government provides grants for specific purposes, such as promoting homeland security, improving the public infrastructure , and compliance with federal environmental standards. These funds typically go to the states, and are allocated to cities and towns within each state. Sometimes there is a state matching fund requirement for such grants. • Project grants—The national government also supports states through project grants for specific activities, such as scientific research, highway construction, and job training. Project grants are generally restricted to a fixed amount of funding, along with specific project guidelines that must be followed. • Block grants—Block grants are broad grants to states for specific activities, such as public assistance, child care, education, social services, preventive health care, and health services. By definition, these blocks of funding are provided with very few requirements attached. States generally have great flexibility in deciding how to spend these federal block-grant dollars. In Connecticut, categorical grants would include the allocation of federal funds to the state to pass through to the cities and towns following natural emergencies and disasters such as Hurricane Sandy in late 2012. Other types of federal categorical grants would include homeland security funds to construct public safety facilities, provide fire services, and to purchase emergency-response vehicles. Project grants involve those federal funds typically given to...