As local officials have made decisions about how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, the roles of city and county governments have been on display. So, today, we’re going to break down the basics about how the systems work.

We talked to UTC Assistant Professor of Public Administration Christopher Acuff, who wrote his dissertation on consolidated government, to get the details.

Why do we have separate city and county governments?

○ In most cases, including locally, the county government is set up to act as an administrative subdivision of the state. It falls to the county to administer + supervise services, such as public health, safety, jails, recordkeeping, and courts, Acuff said.

○ For example, the health department is under the county’s control, and so recently when Gov. BIll Lee gave local officials control of whether to mandate masks, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, along with health department officials, made that call.

○ The public school system is another example of services that fall under the county + state.

DYK: In 1994, city voters in Chattanooga narrowly voted to eliminate a city school system.

So what does the city do?

○ Municipalities, like the city of Chattanooga, typically provide more enhanced services — such as more complete planning + zoning, fire + recycling — beyond what residents get from the county or state.

○ Municipalities can pass local ordinances and counties generally can’t.

Quoteworthy
“County governments in Tennessee have existed, essentially, as long as we’ve had a state.” – Christopher Acuff

Is it unique to have separate city + county governments?

○ Nah. Acuff said that — although every state is different, for example, Connecticut and Rhode Island don’t have counties — most places have both a county and municipal government (or the equivalent).

DYK: Hamilton County is tied for having the highest number of local government entities (10 municipalities + the county government) in the state.

Are there pros + cons of having separate city + county governments?

○ There’s debate about this in academic circles, but Acuff said, “neither side has necessarily shown that their preferred method of how to structure local governments is inherently better.”

○ You can argue that consolidated governments are more efficient because, at least in theory, they eliminate redundancies. Or you can argue that more governments mean more competition between the two and thus taxation and services would be more in line with what residents want.

○ On the “con” side, you can argue that a consolidated government leads to inequitable representation for minorities, like members of the Black community. Cities are generally more racially and ethnically diverse compared to unincorporated areas of the county. If the governments consolidate, representation may get diluted.

Does one tend to have more power than the other?

“I wouldn’t necessarily classify one as having more power than the other — more like them both having designated powers within their sphere of influence,” Acuff said.

But because the county is a subdivision of the state, it often trumps city powers. The most recent local example of this is how the state gave power to the county to make decisions about mask mandates and business closings during the pandemic. Ultimately, County Mayor Jim Coppinger overruled City Mayor Andy Berke because Coppinger is empowered through the state.

On the other hand, many mayors — especially in larger cities — have strong powers. (Chattanooga has a strong mayor.) And they generally have larger, more professional staff compared to county offices, Acuff said.

Why does the county control the school budget?

○ Education is a function of the state, so the responsibility falls to the county to provide the service.

○ In Tennessee, the county commission is responsible for setting the tax rates that fund local schools, so it's in control of the school system’s budget. The school board has some discretion on how money is allocated but the county commission can reject the budget.

By the numbers

○ In the last two decades, about 40% of consolidation efforts have been successful.

○ Historically, that percentage has been lower.

○ Chattanooga has tried and failed three times to consolidate — in 1964, 1970 + 1984.

Question