City commission government facts for kids
A city commission government is a way that some cities in the United States are run. In this system, people vote for a group of leaders called a "commission."
This commission is made up of several people. They are in charge of important city matters like taxes, how money is spent, and other general services. Sometimes, different commissioners are responsible for specific areas, such as managing the city's finances (money).
How Did City Commission Government Start?
The very first city to use this type of government was Galveston, Texas. This happened shortly after a terrible storm called the 1900 Galveston Hurricane hit the city in 1900. The new government was created to help rebuild and manage the city more effectively after the disaster.
After Galveston, this idea quickly became popular and spread to many other cities across Texas.
Where Else Is It Used?
Des Moines, Iowa was the first city outside of Texas to adopt the city commission government. Today, one of the largest cities that still uses this form of government is Portland, Oregon. In 2007, the people of Portland voted to keep their city commission government, rejecting a plan to change to a different system.
Other Ways Cities Are Governed
- Mayor–council government
- Council–manager government
