Research Paper on Lubbock County Government

Jurisdictions of Lubbock County Government

Texas has a total of two hundred and fifty-four counties, having the highest number of counties in any state. However, my chosen local government entity is the county government of Lubbock. County governments serve a vast geographical area than towns and cities but their areas are smaller than states. Lubbock county government is created by the state government and operates under provisions that are set out in the constitution of the state. The common form of county government in Lubbock is the commission system. under this structure, a commission that is elected that consists of few commissioners, serves as the body governing or in charge within the county, performing all the executive and legislative functions (Bartik, n.p). These include passing county resolutions, adopting a budget, firing and hiring county officials to mention but a few. Under the system of the council administrator, voters elect members of the council who serve for a specified period and in turn, an administrator is appointed by the council to oversee the government operations. Additionally, the administrator works at the council directive and can be terminated or ended by the council. The arrangement goal is to divide policymaking and administrative responsibilities between the appointed administrator and the elected council (Hanson, 12).

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Also, under the executive system of the council-elected, voters elected the executive and the members of the council. The executive performs functions that are similar to those of the governor of the state. For example, the elected member can vote the actions of the council, provide public policy suggestions, or draft a budget. Although the tasks that each county government performs are different from state to state, Lubbock has a courthouse which houses the officials of the county like the county clerk, sheriffs, assessors, coroners, treasurers et cetera. These people conduct very important functions and oversee the responsibilities and ways of running the county government. For example, the coroner of Lubbock investigates causes of deaths when suspicious circumstances are in action. The treasurer oversees the distribution and collection of funds in the county. The assessor conducts tax evaluations on the property and informs business owners or citizens of their right to contest the value that is appraised of their property (Bartik, n.p). Thus, for these services to be provided, Lubbock county government relies on portions of sales tax receipts, tax revenue on the property, intergovernmental transfer funds to name but a few, by way of state or federal grants.

What Lubbock County Government Represents

The power of county governments in Texas varies from states as well as the relationship between incorporated cities and counties. Lubbock county government often resides in a municipality known as the county seat. Some counties might have multiple or no seats. However, counties that have no incorporated municipalities, the large settlement might serve as the seat of the county. Nonetheless, in Lubbock, the county government functions as the department of sheriffs and judicial court and most of the authority that is below the state level is in the hands of cities and towns. In several counties that are sparsely populated, the small towns depend on the county for enforcing laws (Hanson, 8). Lubbock county government has authority over land use planning and infrastructure, distribution of federal and state funds for projects of infrastructure, limited duties of law enforcement and emergency preparedness. Additionally, the county government provides public utilities, public health, parks, courts at a minimum. There is the registrar of the county who holds elections and collects vital statistics and processes or prepares certificates of dissolutions, births, marriages, and deaths (Hanson, 8).

Also, the sheriff of Lubbock County is the chief officer of law enforcement in the county. In most cases, the police departments of city government are not directly controlled by the sheriff, but he or she merely corporates with them under mutual aid pacts. Therefore, the common interaction between the personnel of the city and county law enforcement is when the police officers of the city deliver suspects to the deputies of the sheriffs for incarceration or detention in the county jail. Additionally, in Lubbock, the local law enforcement and state courts are implemented and organized along the boundaries of other counties (Bartik, n.p). However, all the procedural and substantive law adjudicated in trial courts of the state comes from the appellate courts and the state legislature. Thus, criminal defendants in most cases are prosecuted for state law violation but not local ordinances. Moreover, Lubbock county government provides services such as family and child services, mental health services, veteran assistant services, welfare services, to mention but a few, that are represented by one county official. The county government ensures that the residents receive proper medical care and treatment and are safe in their residential. Also, the elected leaders in most cases, stand to represent the plea and cries of the citizens when meetings are held and issues have been raised since not every citizen can stand to represent himself or herself and be satisfied (Hanson, 12).

Functions of Lubbock County Government

The governing body of the county is the court of the commissioner. The constitution of Texas specifies that courts are made up of four county commissioners and a county judge who are all elected by voters who are qualified of the precincts of individual commissioner. The judge of the county is considered as the presiding officer representing the county commissioner's court. County business that is provided by the law is exercised by the court (Bartik, n.p). Many administrative responsibilities of the state rest with the court and a growing rate of permissive authorities. The code of the local government contains most of the provisions guiding the court of the commissioner and other officers who are related to management, employees, finance, and public officers, property acquisition et cetera of the county affairs.

Nevertheless, the main functions of the court of the county commissioner are developing and adopting the budget of the county, setting the rates of taxes, providing a building for use such as jails, offices, courts, and other support facilities. Also, there is holding special and general elections as decided by the relevant authorities, filling vacancies for certain appointed and elected officials, establishing the county investment policy and bonds issued, and appointing certain commissions and boards (Hanson, 10). Other functions include providing local government for the rural residents, improving and maintaining the roads of the county, providing legal defense and health care for the indigent, allowing contracts to be written in the name of the county and administering parks, libraries, county hospitals, and paupers and support. These functions are also considered to be the functions of Lubbock County government.

Representatives of Lubbock County Government

Jodey Cook Arrington is the American representative for the nineteenth congressional district of Texas. With the census conducted in 2014, Lubbock County has a population of 293,974. The seat of the county is Lubbock. The federal officials who were elected are John Cornyn and Ted Cruz while the state officials are Andes Alcantar, Sid Miller, Dan Patrick, and many others. The city located in Lubbock County in Texas is only Lubbock. The school districts located in Lubbock County is Lubbock independent school district in Texas. Nevertheless, the local courts are Lubbock county court at law, Texas District 137, 140, 237, 242, 364, 72, and 99 (Bartik, n.p). The leaders of Lubbock have every individual strives to be a lawful member of the society. However, sheer complexity and volume of laws create a high hurdle to live a regulatory and lawful compliant life. The leader's political philosophy is based on a deep appreciation and traditional Christian values for limited government. They are aware that private sectors always create economic prosperity in the state and they are committed to keeping regulations and taxes low for it to be granted. They are also committed to fighting against the left radical agenda and progressivism so that Lubbock may maintain its conservative and cultural identity (Hanson, 11).

State Laws Governing Lubbock County Government

Texas constitution is the foundation of its government and it vests the legislative state's power in the Texas legislature. The constitution is only subject to the people's sovereignty and the American constitution. Worker's rights in employment that is private informing bargain and unions collectively, together with their employers are always guaranteed by the federal laws and National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) (Hanson, 6). The act is preemptive such that it supersedes the state laws in the covered areas. However, in the areas that NLRA does not cover, the states make their own provisions such as rights of both private and public employees not engaged in interstate commerce. There is also right to work in Lubbock. Like other counties, Lubbock has a law protecting the rights of employees to join or reject unions. The law of Texas rejects any contract requiring a worker, as a continued employment condition to join any union (Bartik, n.p). The union contracts that are calling for union and agency shops are banned relating to the law of the right to work. There are also deductions from pay and the Lubbock laws have made it illegal to deduct any finance from the pay of an employee, which will be issued to labor organizations without accessing the written consent of the worker (Hanson, 7).

Also, the yellow dog contract is a contract where a worker pledges to curb union membership as an employment condition are void and against the Texas law public policy. There is also right to sue and to be sued where unions can conduct this under the Texas law. Lubbock also has a good system of neighbors serving neighbors such that it leaves its neighbors with the decision of determining the amount of taxes they will pay to support roads, courts and the public records. Additionally, Lubbock encourages public transparency because the county officials are at times not straightforward. The financial records of the county are always available for public inspections and its commissioners. The officials of the county are expected to respond to people's opinions, questions and ideas on the local government at any time (Bartik, n.p).

Impacts of Lubbock County Government to Its Residents

A county that is chartered is one which has a unique set of laws forming the legal foundation of a local government system. The legal document articulating these laws is termed as the charter, which stands in relationship to a village or a county. It also defines the functions and power of the officials that are elected, the organizations and the procedures of the local government. Thus, Lubbock county government has both positive and negative impacts on the state of Texas. The positive impacts are the reduction of the legislative interferences in other county affairs because each county government has its own way of ruling depending on the demands and population of people in the county (Bartik, n.p). Also, the county government permits the residents to determine the administrative organization of the local government before breaking certain laws. Lubbock has got its leaders ruling it and they often wish the best during their reign.

Additionally, the legislature of the state is relieved of the burden of time-consuming of a special legislation and must devote its attention to the...