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General law local government

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Revision as of 19:56, 10 October 2023 by Abbey Smith (contribs)
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General law or statutory local governments are counties, cities, or municipalities that do not have their own charter. Instead of a charter, they are bound by the state's general law.[1]


States that allow charter counties

Total charter counties by state

Charter counties by state
State Total Counties Total Charter Counties % of Charter Counties
Alabama 67 0 0.00%
Alaska 18 10 55.56%
Arizona 15 0 0.00%
Arkansas 75 0 0.00%
California 57 14 24.56%
Colorado 62 2 3.23%
Connecticut 0 0 0.00%
Delaware 3 0 0.00%
Florida 66 20 30.30%
Georgia 159 7 4.40%1
Hawaii 4 4 100.00%
Idaho 44 0 0.00%
Illinois 102 0 0.00%
Indiana 91 0 0.00%
Iowa 99 0 0.00%
Kansas 103 103 100%2
Kentucky 120 1 0.83%
Louisiana 64 23 35.94%
Maine 16 3 18.75%
Maryland 23 9 39.13%3
Massachusetts 5 1 20.00%
Michigan 83 2 2.41%
Minnesota 87 1 1.15%
Mississippi 82 0 0.00%
Missouri 114 4 3.51%
Montana 54 3 5.56%
Nebraska 93 0 0.00%
Nevada 16 0 0.00%
New Hampshire 10 0 0.00%
New Jersey 21 0 0.00%
New Mexico 33 1 3.03%4
New York 57 19 33.33%
North Carolina 100 0 0.00%
North Dakota 53 8 15.09%
Ohio 88 2 2.27%
Oklahoma 77 0 0.00%
Oregon 36 9 25.00%
Pennsylvania 67 7 10.45%
Rhode Island 0 0 0.00%
South Carolina 46 0 0.00%
South Dakota 66 2 3.03%
Tennessee 92 2 2.17%
Texas 254 0 0.00%
Utah 29 0 0.00%
Vermont 14 0 0.00%
Virginia 95 3 3.16%
Washington 39 6 15.38%
West Virginia 55 0 0.00%
Wisconsin 72 0 0.00%
Wyoming 23 0 0.00%
1Georgia: permits a county charter only as a consolidated government (county-city or county-unincorporated community).
2Kansas: all counties are able to enact charter resolutions making every county, in effect, a charter county.
3Maryland: 9 counties have charters, another 6 are organized under state law so as to have home rule.
4New Mexico: permits a county charter only as a consolidated government, like the county-city of Los Alamos.

States that allow charter municipalities

  • Alaska for first class cities
  • Arizona for municipalities with a population of 3500 or greater
  • Arkansas for municipalities with a population of 500 or greater
  • California for all municipalities
  • Colorado for municipalities with a population of 2000 or greater
  • Connecticut for all municipalities
  • Delaware for municipalities with a population of 1000 or greater
  • Florida for municipalities with a population of 1500 or greater in counties of less than 75,000; and 5000 or greater in counties with greater than 75,000
  • Georgia all municipalities are governed under a charter
  • Iowa for all municipalities
  • Kansas all cities are able to enact charter ordinances making every city, in effect, a charter city.
  • Louisiana for all municipalities
  • Maine for all municipalities
  • Maryland all municipalities are governed under a charter
  • Massachusetts for all municipalities
  • Michigan for all municipalities
  • Minnesota for all municipalities
  • Mississippi for all municipalities
  • Missouri for municipalities with a population of 5,000 or greater
  • Montana for all municipalities
  • Nebraska for municipalities with a population of 5,000 or greater
  • Nevada for all municipalities
  • New Hampshire for all municipalities
  • New Jersey for all municipalities
  • New Mexico for municipalities with a population of 300 or greater
  • New York only for municipalities that have the structure of a city (no population requirement)
  • North Carolina all municipalities are governed under a charter
  • North Dakota for municipalities with a population of 100 or greater
  • Ohio for all municipalities
  • Oklahoma for municipalities with a population of 2,000 or greater
  • Oregon for all municipalities
  • Pennsylvania for all municipalities
  • Rhode Island all municipalities are governed under a charter
  • South Carolina for all municipalities
  • South Dakota for all municipalities
  • Tennessee for all municipalities
  • Texas for municipalities with a population of 5,000 or greater
  • Utah for all municipalities
  • Vermont for all municipalities
  • Virginia all municipalities are governed under a charter
  • Washington for all municipalities
  • West Virginia for municipalities with a population of 2,000 or greater
  • Wisconsin all cities and villages are able to enact charter ordinances making each, in effect, a charter city or village.
  • Wyoming all cities and towns are able to enact charter ordinances making each, in effect, a charter city or town.

Total charter cities by state

Charter cities by state
State Total Cities Total Charter Cities % of Charter Cities
Alabama 460 0 0.00%
Alaska 145 11 7.59%
Arizona 91 19 20.88%
Arkansas 501 0 0.00%
California 482 121 25.10%
Colorado 271 99 36.53%
Connecticut 179 104 58.10%
Delaware 57 55 96.49%
Florida 410 410 100.00%
Georgia 535 535 100.00%
Hawaii 0 0 0.00%
Idaho 200 1 0.50%1
Illinois 1298 34 2.62%2
Indiana 569 0 0.00%
Iowa 947 5 0.53%
Kansas 626 626 100.00%3
Kentucky 418 0 0.00%
Louisiana 303 31 10.23%
Maine 488 75 15.37%
Maryland 157 157 100.00%
Massachusetts 351 150 42.74%4
Michigan 533 323 60.60%
Minnesota 854 107 12.53%
Mississippi 297 20 6.73%
Missouri 955 44 4.61%5
Montana 129 32 24.81%
Nebraska 530 2 0.38%
Nevada 19 12 63.16%
New Hampshire 234 13 5.56%
New Jersey 566 11 1.94%
New Mexico 103 12 11.65%
New York 1550 62 4.00%
North Carolina 553 553 100.00%
North Dakota 357 130 36.41%
Ohio 936 234 25.00%
Oklahoma 594 86 14.48%
Oregon 241 111 46.06%
Pennsylvania 2561 65 2.54%
Rhode Island 39 39 100.00%
South Carolina 270 0 0.00%
South Dakota 310 10 3.23%
Tennessee 345 229 66.38%
Texas 1214 352 29.00%
Utah 245 1 0.41%
Vermont 282 68 24.11%
Virginia 229 229 100.00%
Washington 281 11 3.91%
West Virginia 232 108 46.55%
Wisconsin 595 1 0.17%6
Wyoming 99 7 7.07%7
1Idaho: does not permit charter adoption, Bellevue continues to be governed under a territorial charter.
2Illinois: does not permit charter adoption, 34 small villages and towns still hold charters from the 1800's. Although they lack a charter, 209 cities have home rule powers.
3Kansas: all cities are able to enact charter ordinances making every city, in effect, a charter city.
4Massachusetts: this includes 90 cities and towns with home rule charters and 60 with special act charters.
5Missouri: this includes 38 home rule charters and 6 special legislative charters
6Wisconsin: Milwaukee is the only city with a private act charter, but all cities and villages are able to enact charter ordinances making each, in effect, a charter city or village.
7Wyoming: all cities and towns are able to enact charter ordinances making each, in effect, a charter city or town. 7 cities have exercised this power to adopt a charter ordinance

States that do not allow local charters

States that only allow general law counties

1Alabama: no county has a charter, but Shelby and Baldwin county have been granted home rule status by special act of the state legislature.
2Georgia: except for consolidated governments (county-city or county-unincorporated community).
3New Mexico: except for consolidated governments, like the county-city of Los Alamos.
4South Carolina: except for consolidated governments, none currently exist.


States that only allow general law municipalities

1Idaho: does not permit charter adoption, Bellevue continues to be governed under a territorial charter.
2Illinois: does not permit charter adoption, 34 small villages and towns still hold charters from the 1800's. Although they lack a charter, 209 cities have home rule powers.


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Berkeley Law, "General Law City v. Charter City," accessed October 8, 2023

See also


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