Question 1

One goal of the deferred retirement option plan (DROP) was to

Accepted Answer

The deferred retirement option plan (DROP) was specifically designed to incentivize Dallas police officers and firefighters to continue working past their 20 years of service by allowing them to collect their pension in a separate account while still earning a salary. This way, they are not required to retire and can continue working if they wish.

Question 2

Flood control is managed through special purpose districts because

Accepted Answer

Flooding can occur across multiple jurisdictions and is not confined to a single city or county. Special purpose districts allow for coordination and cooperation between multiple jurisdictions to effectively manage flood control.

Question 3

How are most special purpose districts in Texas administered?

Accepted Answer

Most special purpose districts in Texas are administered by a board that is elected by the residents within the district. This allows for local control and representation of the community's interests.

Question 4

A school district is

Accepted Answer

A school district is a special purpose district established by the state government to administer public schools within a geographic area. It is not administered by county commissioners' court or ruled by the federal government in Washington, D.C. It is also not established by each incorporated city, as cities can be part of multiple school districts.

Question 5

In Texas, ________ create(s) special purpose districts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Texas, ________ create(s) special purpose districts.
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Question 6

The county commissioners' court has original jurisdiction for cases involving violation of county laws.

Accepted Answer

County commissioners' courts typically do not have original jurisdiction in criminal cases; they primarily handle administrative and budgetary matters for the county.

Question 7

Cities and towns in Texas often see rapid population growth. Such growth requires school districts to quickly expand. In this type of situation, school districts use __________________ to borrow the necessary funds to achieve this goal.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cities and towns in Texas often see...

Question 8

Community college districts and fire-prevention districts are examples of

Accepted Answer

Community college districts and fire-prevention districts are categorized as non-school special purpose districts because they provide specific services not related to K-12 education.

Question 9

What is the main difference between a special purpose district and a county?

Accepted Answer

A special purpose district provides only one specific service within a geographic region, while counties are larger geographical regions that provide a wide range of services to their residents.

Question 10

What are the main sources of revenue for special purpose districts in Texas?

Accepted Answer

Special purpose districts in Texas primarily rely on property taxes and user fees as their main sources of revenue. They may also receive grants and other forms of financial assistance from the state and federal governments, but these are typically not a significant source of funding for these districts. Income taxes and sales taxes are not typically used as revenue sources for special purpose districts in Texas.

Question 11

County governments are most important for administering rural areas throughout Texas.

Accepted Answer

County governments in Texas have significant responsibility for regulating and administering rural areas, including roads and bridges, law enforcement, public health, and administering property taxes.

Question 12

What type of government is called hidden government because people often do NOT know it exists?

Accepted Answer

Special purpose districts are often referred to as hidden government because many people are not aware of their existence. These districts are created for a specific purpose, such as providing public transportation or managing water resources, and operate independently of other local governments. County, city, and state governments are generally more visible and well-known to the public.

Question 13

Which of the following is the most common form of local government in Texas?

Accepted Answer

Special purpose districts are the most common form of local government in Texas, as they are created to perform specific functions such as water supply, hospitals, or schools, and there are many of them across the state.

Question 14

Special purpose districts in Texas are

Accepted Answer

Special purpose districts in Texas, such as school districts or water conservation districts, are theoretically democratic because they are governed by elected officials. However, in practice, they often face issues such as low voter turnout and lack of public awareness, which can limit the extent of democratic participation and oversight.

Question 15

If you live outside city limits, water, sewer, sanitation, and electricity services are offered by

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you live outside city limits, water,...

Question 16

Employee pensions are an issue for all levels of government in Texas. Which of the following is a change that has been recently implemented as a way to make pension plans more economically sound?

Accepted Answer

An increasing retirement age has been recently implemented as a way to make pension plans more economically sound in Texas. This allows for a longer period of time for employees to contribute to their pension plans and reduces the amount of time that benefits are paid out.

Question 17

________ is a unit of government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area.

Accepted Answer

A special purpose district is a unit of government that is created to perform a specific service, such as managing a local park system or providing fire protection to a specific area. They are typically limited in their geographic scope and do not have the broad range of responsibilities that a county or local government would have.

Question 18

Since each county in Texas is required under the one person, one vote doctrine to have approximately the same number of residents, county lines must be redrawn every ten years as part of the redistricting process after the census.

Accepted Answer

The "one person, one vote" doctrine applies to electoral districts, not county lines. Counties in Texas do not have their boundaries redrawn based on population changes; instead, legislative and congressional districts within the states are redrawn to reflect population changes captured in the census.

Question 19

What is the function of the twenty-four councils of government in Texas today?

Accepted Answer

The twenty-four councils of government in Texas are meant to coordinate local planning and economic development. They serve as a regional board that brings together local governments and stakeholders to address common issues and ensure regional cooperation. They do not establish new special purpose districts or set property tax rates, nor do they run utility districts.

Question 20

Special purpose districts were initially designed to help develop poor and rural areas of Texas. However, many people are now concerned that the system is being abused because

Accepted Answer

Real estate developers have been using special purpose districts to fund infrastructure for new developments, passing the costs onto future property owners, which raises concerns about abuse of the system.

Quiz 10: Local Government