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Results: 12
Book
book cover
County and Municipal Government in North Carolina, 2025 Edition

North Carolina is home to over 10 million people, more than 550 cities, and exactly 100 counties, all governed by the laws summarized in this book. The tiny town with just a single stoplight and the major metropolis with a million residents operate under the same legal framework. This book aims to explain that legal framework so that readers understand what our state’s counties and cities do...
Microsite landing page
City-County Consolidation in North Carolina

City-county consolidation is the merger of two governments – a county and the largest city in that county. The southeastern United States has witnessed more city-county consolidations than other regions of the county, with merged governments in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. [(Here is a listing of consolidated city-counties in the United States.)] There have been eight...
Article
Council-manager government at 100: Growing and making a difference

Summary from icma.org:

" With the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city manager position in Staunton, Virginia, which ultimately led to the council-manager form of government, it is appropriate to take stock of what the form means, its current status in local government, and its continuing significance. Some suggest that the time of substantial growth is over (and...
Article
Taking Stock of Form and Structure in County Government

Summary from icma.org:

"County governments in the United States combine deeply rooted traditional structures and the forms of government developed in the 20th century reform movement. In the August 2008 issue of PM, we used the 100th anniversary of the addition of a city manager to the government in Staunton, Virginia, as the occasion to take stock of form of government in cities. It is...
Microsite landing page
NC Municipal Incorporation

The NC Municipal Incorporation microsite provides information and assistance to North Carolina communities interested in investigating and seeking incorporation as municipalities (cities, towns, or villages).
Book chapter
Incorporation, Annexation, and City–County Consolidation

County and Municipal Government in North CarolinaMunicipal Incorporation / 15Repealing City Charters and Dissolving Counties / 17Annexation / 17Overview of Current Annexation Methods / 18 Voluntary Annexation of Contiguous Areas / 18 Voluntary Annexation of Noncontiguous (Satellite) Areas / 19 Voluntary Annexation of High Poverty and...
Article
"Form of Government Still Matters: Fostering Innovation in U.S. Municipal Governments." American Review of Public Administration, 42 (3): 257-281. K.L. Nelson, K. L. and J. H. Svara, 2012.

Using data on the adoption of e-government, reinventing government, and strategic practices, and the Nelson and Svara (2010) typology of municipal government form, the authors investigate the characteristics of municipal governments that are related to the implementation of innovative practices. The authors find that higher innovation rates are associated with council-manager governments--both...
Article
State Level Autonomy and Municipal Government Structure: Influence on Form of Government Outcomes

A number of recent studies have argued that municipal governments have so significantly modified elements of their form of government that it is now difficult to distinguish form. However, none of these studies considers the influence of state government on these choices. This study uses a comprehensive data set of U.S. municipal governments with populations of at least 10,000 and a data set...
Microsite landing page
Forms of North Carolina Municipal Government

Welcome to the School of Government's Forms of North Carolina Municipal Government microsite.  Each city, town, and village in North Carolina has its own particular form of government, initially set out in the municipal charter and subject to change by local acts of the General Assembly, and by local ordinances adopted by the governing board of the municipality.  This site includes two...
FAQ collection
Modifying a Municipality's Charter: Legal Summary and Answers to Questions

A North Carolina municipality's charter is an act of the North Carolina General Assembly, and normally only the General Assembly can amend one of its own acts. Nevertheless, by enactment of G.S. 160A-101 through 160A-111 (the "charter change statute") the General Assembly has delegated this power to amend a city's charter to that city's council, or voters, or both. (Throughout this summary,...
Article
Form of Government Still Matters: Fostering Innovation in U.S. Municipal Governments

Using data on the adoption of e-government, reinventing government, and strategic practices, and the Nelson and Svara (2010) typology of municipal government form, the authors investigate the characteristics of municipal governments that are related to the implementation of innovative practices. The authors find that higher innovation rates are associated with council-manager...
Book
American Municipal Government (Special Data Issue, 2002, No. 4.)

This report examines the “Municipal Form of Government, 2001” survey results on government structure. The specific focus will be overall form of government, including comparisons of government structure with population and the methods used to legally establish various forms of government. In addition, this report will consider the appointment methods for chief administrative officers in mayor-...