Running for Local Office
Would you like to change things for the better in your community from an official position? Are there issues you are passionate about but don’t know how to make your voice heard?
You may have contemplated running for local office but don’t know where to begin.
Should You Run for Local Office?
The world needs honest, passionate, informed leaders who listen to their constituents. Many people want change in certain aspects of society. But they feel they are not listened to by their elected leaders or that those in government tend to be corrupt and self-serving.
Local government offices are an effective position to initiate positive change – especially if one has support from like-minded individuals. Local government is the closest and most accessible to the people.
According to the tenth amendment, state and local governments have certain powers.
The Tenth Amendment, included in the Bill of Rights, defines the balance of power between the federal government, the states and the people at large. The amendment says that powers not specifically given to the federal government, or withheld from the states are reserved to the people at large or the states. (The US Constitution takes precedence over any local laws or ordinances that are unconstitutional.)
powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution
The Structure of Government in Georgia
If you are contemplating running for office you will want to decide what kind of local government you want to work in. This involves understanding the structure of government in Georgia. It’s relatively easy to understand the local governmental structure in Georgia compared to other states.
Georgia has only three types of local government below the legislature – counties, cities, and special districts. Most other states have villages and townships, but our legislators have kept it simple. 1
Georgia Counties
Counties are highest in the local government hierarchy. The Georgia State Legislature created counties as subdivisions of the state. Counties serve as districts for carrying out state laws and programs. They are a general-purpose unit of local government.
Georgia has 159 counties, which is high compared to other states. Only Texas has a higher number at 254.
Most counties have between 10,000 and 50,000 residents. Twenty-four counties have more than 100,000 people living in them.1
Georgia’s four most highly populated counties are Fulton, Gwinnett, Dekalb, and Cobb. Fulton County has the largest population and is arguably the most influential, with a population of 1,089,919 (making it one of the largest counties in the country.) It is the home of Atlanta, Georgia’s Capitol City. (Georgia is the eighth most populated state in the Southeast.) Gwinnett follows with a population of 998,232. Cobb has 786,549 residents, and Dekalb has 765,418.2
Who is Elected to County Government?
The county commission is the governing body of a county. County Commissioners are elected and, in most counties, serve a term of four years. The elections for County Commissioners are staggered – they are not all elected in the same year. The size of each county commission varies from county to county. Most have five commissioners. Some only have one, and some have up to 11.
The Georgia constitution allows county commissioners to enact local affairs and property laws. The laws in a county are called county ordinances. Some areas of county ordinances include building regulations, health and sanitation, human relations, environment, and fire safety.
The commissioners can also pass resolutions that reflect their opinions on some issues. An example would be a resolution to honor someone who showed bravery in the fire department or a law enforcement worker.
The county commission has executive power and legislative power. However, the commission does not make all the decisions on county policy. The state constitution gives other elected county officials specified constitutional powers.
The superior court judge and judge of the magistrate court are elected positions in a Georgian County. The sheriff, probate court judge, superior court clerk, and county tax commissioner are also elected.
The county’s population determines the number of unelected government employees needed to serve under these elected officials.1
Cities
While the state legislature establishes counties to serve as administrative districts, cities are initiated by people in a local area. The citizens form a city because they want local self-government and services.
A city becomes incorporated and is legally established by the Georgia legislature. Once it is legally established, it is called a municipality. A charter, like a city constitution, governs the municipality. The charter provides the official name of the city and defines city boundaries. It describes the form of government and what its powers are. The Georgia legislature approves the charter.
Who is Elected to City Government?
Once the charter is approved, the city can have elections for offices as described by the city charter. The elected positions in a city are the city council and the mayor. The city council’s powers are similar to those of county commissioners. City Councils can adopt ordinances and resolutions.
The power of the mayor in cities varies according to the city ordinances. Some mayoral positions are weak and ceremonial, giving power to the city council. Other charters allow mayors to run day-to-day operations.
There are 535 cities, most small – 236 Georgian cities with populations of less than 1000.
Cities and counties are general-purpose forms of local government. That is, they exist for several different purposes, unlike Authorities or Special Districts.1
Authorities or Special Districts
A third type of local government is the Authority or Special District.
These are units of government that are set up for a special purpose. The legislature or city or county ordinances establish special districts.
Who is Elected to Authorities or Special Districts?
Most members of special district governments are appointed, not elected – thus, they are sometimes described as a hidden government.
School boards are the only elected special district positions. Each county has a school district. And there are 21 independent city school systems.
There are approximately 1045 school board members across the state of Georgia.
Georgia State Legislation and Who is Elected
If you want to affect things on a larger scale, consider the Georgia State Legislature. The Georgia State Legislature is one of the largest in the country. It is comprised of the State Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives.
There are 236 seats in the Georgia State Legislature. Fifty-six are in the Georgia State Senate (the senior body) and 180 are in the Georgia House of Representatives. All 236 seats are elected every two years
There are 56 State Senate Districts, and each senator represents an average of 173,707 residents.
There are 180 Georgia House Districts, each having a State Representative. The number of citizens varies from district to district.
Lobbyists have an effect on legislation, but they are not elected. Aides to the senators and representatives are not elected.
What each part of the state legislation does and how they are affected by lobbyists and citizens requires a study.
The Senate and House both have committees, and the process of passing a bill can be reviewed here.
Ballotpedia and the Georgia government website are good places to learn about districting and party trends.
In closing, plenty of positions are available regardless of what government tier you want to work at.
Once you decide what position to run for, you must go through a qualifying process and several steps mandated by law. You can learn about that here.
Good luck!
References
- GPB State and Local Government https://georgiastudies.gpb.org/u10
- World Population Review https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/georgia/fulton-county
- BallotPedia Georgia state legislative districts https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_state_legislative_districts
- BallotPedia Georgia State Representatives https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_House_of_Representatives
- BallotPedia Georgia State Senators https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_State_Senate
- Georgia.gov Run for Public Office https://georgia.gov/run-public-office
