local governments that provide a single service or a closely related set of services are
Special districts
title: Local government text: Local government A local government is a form of public administration which, in a majority of contexts, exists as the lowest tier of administration within a given state. The term is used to contrast with offices at state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or (where appropriate) federal government and also to supranational government which deals with governing institutions between states. Local governments generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government. In federal states, local government generally comprises the third (or sometimes fourth) tier of government, title: Local government in the United States text: jurisdictions exist, in which city and county functions are managed by a single municipal government. In places like New England, towns are the primary unit of local government and counties have no governmental function but exist in a purely perfunctory capacity (e.g. for census data). In addition to general-purpose local governments, there may be local or regional special-purpose local governments, such as school districts and districts for fire protection, sanitary sewer service, public transportation, public libraries, public parks or forests, or water resource management. Such special purpose districts often encompass areas in multiple municipalities. According to the US Census Bureau's title: Local government in the United States text: category excludes dependent public school systems of county, municipal, township, or state governments (e.g., school divisions). Special districts are all organized local entities other than the four categories listed above, authorized by state law to provide designated functions as established in the district's charter or other founding document, and with sufficient administrative and fiscal autonomy to qualify as separate governments; known by a variety of titles, including districts, authorities, boards, commissions, etc., as specified in the enabling state legislation. A special district may serve areas of multiple states if established by an interstate compact. Special districts are widely popular, have title: Local government in the United States text: number of independent cities and consolidated city-counties operate under municipal governments that serve the functions of both city and county. In areas lacking a county government, services are provided either by lower level townships or municipalities, or the state. Town or township governments are organized local governments authorized in the state constitutions and statutes of 20 Northeastern and Midwestern states, established to provide general government for a defined area, generally based on the geographic subdivision of a county. Depending on state law and local circumstance, a township may or may not be incorporated, and the degree of authority over local title: Local service delivery text: local austerity following the 2008 Financial crisis. Local service delivery can take place in many ways. Local services can be delivered directly by the municipality’s bureaucracy, by municipal corporations, by public-private partnerships, by inter-municipal cooperation, and by private organizations through contracting or privatization. Since switching between the multiple options of service delivery often incurs costs, there is often high path dependency in local service delivery that makes it difficult to easily adjust policy choices to changed political and economic environments. While local government is not a necessary part of modern government, it is often an integral part. Local government is