During this session, we’ll discuss the basic forms and functions of local government, who’s responsible for what, and how you can impact your local community. Feel free to come with questions like… Why do I have two mayors? Do I need a permit for that? Why hasn’t that pothole been filled? Do they still elect dog catchers?

To help answer some of your questions about local government, we’ll cover the following:

• The basics of city and county government – what do these people even do?
• Different forms of local government – who is even in charge here?
• How cities and counties work (or don’t work) together – do we need to separate you two?
• Representation and participation at the local level – why won’t these people just listen to me?

This session is provided through a grant from the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition. This session is non-partisan and is for informational purposes only.

About the teacher:

Dr. Chris Acuff is a UC Foundation Assistant Professor of Public Administration in the Department of Political Science and Public Service at UTC. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Master of Public Administration from UTC. Before returning to his hometown of Chattanooga, Acuff served as a research analyst for the State of Tennessee in Nashville. His research and teaching interests focus on state and local government, urban politics, public policy, public budgeting, and political geography. He is also a Certified Municipal Finance Officer in the State of Tennessee, and a self-avowed geography nerd, so he’s happy to answer any questions about budgets, maps, or any other state and local nerdery you want to throw at him.