The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Local Government Civil Divisions and Incorporated Municipalities
in the United States of America
 

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State Executive Legislative Incorporated Municipalities
Alabama
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: COMMISSION]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Functioned historically as the jurisdiction of Alabama's justices of the peace (until that office was abolished in 1977); some precincts still elect a constable but this office may be abolished by local option. Where a constable is no longer elected, the precinct is largely dormant]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 300-1,999, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen;
      Commission]
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 2,000 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen;
      Commission]
Alaska
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • Borough [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: ASSEMBLY]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council]
American Samoa
Arizona
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Functions primarily as the jurisdiction of Arizona's justices of the peace]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 1,500 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council;
      Board of Trustees [special cases only]
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 1,500 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council;
      Board of Trustees [special cases only]
Arkansas
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge (of County Court), Legislative: QUORUM COURT
      (= justices of the peace meeting with the county Judge)]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. The Arkansas township has traditionally been the electoral unit for, as well as the jurisdiction of, the Justice of the Peace (although, in practice, the jurisdiction of a given J.P. tends to extend throughout the county)]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 500 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen;
      Commission;
      Board of Directors- Administrator OR Manager]
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 499 -, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen]
California
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Functioned historically as the jurisdiction of California's justices of the peace until the development of the Municipal Court system throughout the mid-20th Century eventually replaced these township Justice Courts with a districted system of Justice Courts which ultimately was to be subsumed into the Municipal Court system as the primary court of limited jurisdiction in California. The original text of the [2nd] California Constitution of 1879- in Article XI, section 4- contained a clause which stated that the Legislature by general laws shall provide for township organization, under which any county may organize whenever a majority of the qualified electors of such county, voting at a general election, shall so determine: however, this provision was repealed by an Amendment to the Constitution of California adopted by majority vote of the State's electors on Tuesday 27 June 1933; thus, for a little over half a century, the State of California allowed a given county to turn its non-governmental (principally judicial) townships into active governmental subdivisions of the county by local option but, since 1933, this option has no longer been available. Nevertheless, many of the more recent subdivisions of the county in California for purposes of both county and State government were often originally delimited with at least some reference to the township boundaries in that county; therefore, the township- though having become dormant- remains the traditional Minor Civil Division in the State of California]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council]
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council]
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 1,999 -, Form(s) of government: Board of Trustees]
Colorado
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Precincts were, at one time, the unit associated with Justices of the Peace]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 2,000 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council;
      Council-Manager]
Connecticut
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. CONNECTICUT abolished County government as of 1 October 1960: until that time, each County was administered by a Board of Commissioners]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: First Selectman &
      Board of Selectmen, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: = MCD, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
    • Borough [Separated from MCD: No, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
Delaware
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: LEVY COURT]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • hundred [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. The hundred was once the unit re: Delaware's Justices of the Peace (it was also used for a time as the basis of representation in the General Assembly); although, for the most part, defunct (it still functions relative to locating property re: legal title to land), the hundred remains Delaware's traditional subdivision of the county.]
  • Incorporated Municipality
    • City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
    • Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
    • Village [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
    • Borough (1999-2001) [Separated from MCD: Yes, Population requirement(s): population, Form(s) of government: forms]
District of Columbia
Florida
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Georgia
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Guam
Hawaii
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Mayor, Legislative: COUNCIL]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Idaho
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Illinois
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
    • township [Type: Broad, Executive: Supervisor, Legislative: TOWN[SHIP] MEETING]
Indiana
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive: Board of Commissioners, Legislative: COUNCIL]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Trustee, Legislative: Board]
Iowa
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: Board of Trustees]
Kansas
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Trustee, Legislative: Board]
Kentucky
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge(=Executive), Legislative: FISCAL COURT]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Louisiana
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • Parish [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: POLICE JURY]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • ward [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Maine
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Weak, Executive and Legislative: Court of Commissioners]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Board of Selectmen, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
Maryland
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Massachusetts
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Weak, Executive and Legislative: Board of Commissioners. Chapter 34B of the General Laws of Massachusetts- enacted in 1996- provides for the optional abolition of County Government, with the further option of replacing most of the former functions of such abolished government with a Regional Council of Governments made up of representatives of the Minor Civil Divisions (Cities and Towns) within or contiguous to a given abolished County. As in CONNECTICUT and RHODE ISLAND, abolished Counties continue to function as the basis of subdivisions of the Commonwealth for judicial purposes.]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Board of Selectmen, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
Michigan
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Supervisor, Legislative: Board of Trustees]
Minnesota
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Board of Supervisors, Legislative: Town(ship) Meeting]
Mississippi
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • beat [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Missouri
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: COMMISSION]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Trustee, Legislative: Board of Directors]
Montana
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Nebraska
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive: Chairman, Legislative: Board]
Nevada
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
New Hampshire
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Weak, Executive and Legislative: Board of Commissioners]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Board of Selectmen, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
New Jersey
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Shared, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. (Board of Chosen Freeholders until 1 January 2021)]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWNSHIP [Type: Shared, Executive: Mayor, Legislative: COMMITTEE]
New Mexico
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
New York
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • Town[ship] [Type: Broad, Executive: SUPERVISOR, Legislative: Board]
North Carolina
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
North Dakota
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
Northern Marianas
Ohio
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Trustees]
Oklahoma
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Oregon
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge, Legislative: COUNTY COURT]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Pennsylvania
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Council, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
South Carolina
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: COUNCIL]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
South Dakota
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • township [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
Tennessee
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Executive, Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Texas
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge, Legislative: COMMISSIONERS' COURT]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Utah
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Vermont
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Weak, Executive and Legislative: Assistant ["Side"] Judges [of Superior Court]]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Board of Selectmen (more generally known as a 'Selectboard'), Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
Virgin Islands
Virginia
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Washington
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
West Virginia
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
Wisconsin
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • county [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • Town[ship] [Type: Broad, Executive: Board of Supervisors, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]
Wyoming
  • PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION
    • County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  • MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    • district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
State Executive Legislative Incorporated Municipalities
 

State and Local Government Outline


Modified .