Municipality

A municipality is usually an urban administration division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district. The term «municipality” is a generic term and can describe any political jurisdiction from a sovereign state, such as the Principality of Monaco, or a small village.

The territory of a municipality may encompass:

a) only one populated place such as a city, town or village,

b) several of such places (e.g., Municipalities of Mexico),

c) only parts of such places, sometimes boroughs of a city like the 34 municipalities of Santiago, Chile.

The power of a municipality range from virtual autonomy to complete subordination to the state. Municipalities may have the right to tax individuals and corporations with income tax, property tax and corporate income tax, but may also receive substantial funding from the state.

In various countries, a municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision to have democratically elected representation. Municipalities are sometimes referred to as “communes”.

In Canada, municipalities are local governments established through provincial and territorial legislation, usually within general municipal statutes. Types of municipalities within Canada include cities, district municipalities, municipal districts, parishes, rural municipalities, towns, townships, villas and villages among others.

In the United States, ”municipality” is usually understood as a city, town, village or other local government unit, formed by municipal charter from the state as a municipal corporation.In a state law context, some U.S. state codes define “municipality” wider, from the state itself to any political subdivisions.

In the United Kingdom, the term was used until 1974 in England and Wales, and until 1975 in Scotland and 1976 in Northern Ireland, “both for a city or town which is organized for self-government under a municipal corporation, and also for the governing body itself. Such corporation in Great Britain consists of a head as a major or provost, and of superior members, as aldermen and councilors. Since local government reorganization, the unit in England, Northern Ireland and Wales is known as a district, and in Scotland as a council area. A district may be awarded borough or city status.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is a municipality?

2. On what territories may a municipality be formed?

3. What rights may municipalities have?

4. How is a municipality presented in various countries?

5. How is “municipality” understood in the United States?

6. Does the term “municipality” exist in the United Kingdom?

Дата добавления: 2015-08-17