Unincorporated towns in Nevada

Last updated

Nevada state law allows for governance of unincorporated towns under two different systems. The Unincorporated Town Government Law, adopted in 1975, applies to counties of 100,000 people or more, and any other county that opts in. For other counties, a patchwork system of laws applies. [1]

Contents

A 1975 study by the state Legislative Commission identified 39 unincorporated towns in Nevada. [2] As of 2014, the state Demographer's Office listed 44 unincorporated towns. [3]

Unincorporated Town Government Law

The Unincorporated Town Government Law, [4] adopted in 1975, applies to counties with a population over 100,000 (Clark and Washoe Counties), and any other county whose commissioners pass an ordinance adopting the law. [5]

Under this law, unincorporated towns are provided extra services by the county, paid for by property taxes or other revenue sources from the town. [6] A town can be formed by an initiative petition by residents, or by the county commissioners. [7]

A town advisory board is impaneled for each town. The county commissioners may choose for the town advisory board to be elected by town residents, or appointed by the commissioners. In either case, the commissioners may remove a board member at any time. [8]

The advisory board is responsible for acting as a liaison between the residents and the county commissioners, and advising the commissioners on budgets and local ordinances. [9] The commissioners may delegate to the advisory board management of local services and expenditures. [10]

Other counties

In counties where the Unincorporated Town Government Law does not apply, a town board may be established for an unincorporated town, either by initiative petition or act of the county commissioners. [11] The five-member board is elected by residents. [12]

The county commission may levy a property tax of up to 1.5% on all property in the town. [13] This tax, and other town revenue, is placed in a town fund administered by the county, to be used only for the benefit of the town. [14]

Many town government functions can be exercised jointly by the town board or the county commissioners, such as providing local services, [15] adopting ordinances, [16] regulating businesses, [17] establishing police and fire departments, [18] and issuing bonds [19]

As an alternative to a town board, county commissioners may create a citizens' advisory council for an unincorporated town. [20] The three-to-five-member council is appointed by commissioners after an "informal election". [21] The council acts in an advisory and liaison capacity, and does not affect the responsibilities of the commissioners. [22]

The option to establish a town board was enacted in 1967. [23] The system was unpopular, because of an impractical provision that required two county commissioners to sit on the town board; by 1975, it had been adopted by only one town, Crescent Valley. [24] The citizens' advisory council provision was passed into law in 1973. [24] [25] The town board law was later amended in 1985 to remove the requirement of county commissioners serving on the board. [26]

Notes

  1. ↑ Henry Brean (2009-12-19). "Nevada desert town can't find its boundaries". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  2. ↑ Unincorporated Town Governments (PDF) (Report). Legislative Commission of the Legislative Council Bureau, State of Nevada. 1975. p. 8. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  3. ↑ "2014 Estimates". Nevada State Demographer's Office. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  4. ↑ NRS 269.500-269.652
  5. ↑ NRS 269.530
  6. ↑ NRS 269.520
  7. ↑ NRS 269.535
  8. ↑ NRS 269.576, NRS 269.577
  9. ↑ NRS 269.576, NRS 269.577, NRS 269.590
  10. ↑ NRS 269.580, NRS 269.590
  11. ↑ NRS 269.0165
  12. ↑ NRS 269.017, NRS 269.0171
  13. ↑ NRS 269.0115
  14. ↑ NRS 269.095
  15. ↑ NRS 269.128
  16. ↑ NRS 269.155
  17. ↑ NRS 269.170
  18. ↑ NRS 269.235, NRS 269.250
  19. ↑ NRS 269.410
  20. ↑ NRS 269.024
  21. ↑ NRS 269.0242
  22. ↑ NRS 269.024, NRS 269.0246
  23. ↑ "1967 Statutes of Nevada, Chapter 545 - An act relating to unincorporated towns; to provide for the establishment of a town board form of government...". Act of April 27, 1967 . Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  24. 1 2 Unincorporated Town Governments (PDF) (Report). Legislative Commission of the Legislative Council Bureau, State of Nevada. 1975. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  25. ↑ "1973 Statutes of Nevada, Chapter 514 - An act to amend chapter 269 of NRS, relating to unincorporated towns, by providing that the board of county commissioners may appoint a citizens' advisory council...". Act of April 22, 1973 . Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  26. ↑ "1985 Statutes of Nevada, Chapter 216 - An act relating to unincorporated towns; requiring all members of a town board to be elected from the qualified electors of the town...". Act of May 20, 1985 . Retrieved 2017-10-19.

Related Research Articles

A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.

Massachusetts shares with the five other New England states a governmental structure known as the New England town. Only the southeastern third of the state has functioning county governments; in western, central, and northeastern Massachusetts, traditional county-level government was eliminated in the late 1990s. Generally speaking, there are four kinds of public school districts in Massachusetts: local schools, regional schools, vocational/technical schools, and charter schools.

A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council, village council, or board of aldermen.

A board of supervisors is a governmental body that oversees the operation of county government in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as 16 counties in New York. There are equivalent agencies in other states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Texas</span> Government of the U.S. state of Texas

The government of Texas operates under the Constitution of Texas and consists of a unitary democratic state government operating under a presidential system that uses the Dillon Rule, as well as governments at the county and municipal levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Oklahoma</span> Government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma

The government of the U.S. State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers or "checks and balances," each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other branches.

The government of Louisville, Kentucky, headquartered at Louisville City Hall in Downtown Louisville, is organized under Chapter 67C of the Kentucky Revised Statutes as a First-Class city in the state of Kentucky. Created after the merger of the governments of Louisville, Kentucky and Jefferson County, Kentucky, the city/county government is organized under a mayor-council system. The Mayor is elected to four-year terms and is responsible for the administration of city government. The Louisville Metro Council is a unicameral body consisting of 26 members, each elected from a geographic district, normally for four-year terms. The Mayor is limited to a two consecutive term limit, while members of the Louisville Metro Council are not term limited.

The state of Michigan is largely divided in the same way as many other U.S. states, but is distinct in its usage of charter townships. Michigan ranks 13th among the fifty states in terms of the number of local governmental entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Vermont</span> Government of the U.S. state of Vermont

The government of Vermont is a republican form of government modeled after the Government of the United States. The Constitution of Vermont is the supreme law of the state, followed by the Vermont Statutes. This is roughly analogous to the Federal United States Constitution, United States Code and Code of Federal Regulations respectively. Provision is made for the following frame of government under the Constitution of the State of Vermont: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. All members of the executive and legislative branch serve two-year terms including the governor and senators. There are no term limits for any office.

The government of Nevada comprises three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the governor of Nevada and the governor's cabinet along with the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the Nevada Legislature which includes the Assembly and the Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of Nevada and lower courts.

Local government in New Jersey is composed of counties and municipalities. Local jurisdictions in New Jersey differ from those in some other states because every square foot of the state is part of exactly one municipality; each of the 564 municipalities is in exactly one county; and each of the 21 counties has more than one municipality. New Jersey has no independent cities, or consolidated city-counties.

The Nevada Commission on Ethics is a commission that investigates ethics violations by government officials or employees in the state of Nevada in the United States. It has jurisdiction over public officers and employees at the state, county, and city levels of government, as well as various other political subdivisions. The Commission consists of eight members appointed for four-year terms.

Local government in Pennsylvania is government below the state level in Pennsylvania. There are six types of local governments listed in the Pennsylvania Constitution: county, township, borough, town, city, and school district. All of Pennsylvania is included in one of the state's 67 counties, which are in total subdivided into 2,560 municipalities. There are currently no independent cities or unincorporated territories within Pennsylvania. There is only one incorporated town in Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg.

The copyright status of works produced by the governments of states, territories, and municipalities in the United States varies. Copyright law is federal in the United States. Federal law expressly denies U.S. copyright protection to two types of government works: works of the U.S. federal government itself, and all edicts of any government regardless of level or whether or not foreign. Other than addressing these "edicts of government", U.S. federal law does not address copyrights of U.S. state and local government.

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners is a state agency of Nevada that regulates and administers licenses to physicians, practitioners of respiratory care, physician assistants, and perfusionists who wish to practice in Nevada. The agency is headed by a board, with its current president being Rachakonda D. Prabhu. The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. It is a member of the Federation of State Medical Boards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in Nevada</span> Nevadas gun law

Gun laws in Nevada regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Nevada in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in North Carolina</span> North Carolinas gun law

Gun laws in North Carolina regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of North Carolina.

In the United States, there is no consistent use of the office of constable throughout the states; use may vary within a state. A constable may be an official responsible for service of process: such as summonses and subpoenas for people to appear in court in criminal and/or civil matters. They can also be fully empowered law enforcement officers. Constables may have additional specialized duties unique to the office. In some states the constable is an elected or appointed position at the state or local level of local government. Their jurisdiction can vary from statewide to county/parish and local township boundaries based on the state's laws.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.