City Government
Unit 5 - Community Government
Grand Island's government is very similar to the city hall you learned about in the book. What departments do you see that are different? Which are the same?
Grand Island's Mayor is elected for a four-year term. The Mayor works together with the City Council to set goals for the city and make laws that help meet them. The Mayor is in charge of the official meetings and votes only when there is a tie. The Mayor also appoints people to citizen boards and commissions. The Mayor gets an annual salary of $13,000 for the part-time job.
The City Council, is the governing body of Grand Island. Council members are elected for four-year terms. City Council wards or sections of the city are each represented by two council members.
The City Administrator is responsible to the Mayor and the City Council and is in charge of the day-to-day supervision of the City Department activities.
The City Clerk's Office is responsible for managing the official records of the City of Grand Island. This includes recording all City Council meetings,and keeping records of all city ordinances, contracts, agreements, permits, marriage and pet licenses, and deeds of property.
The Building Inspection Department is responsible for enforcing the building, zoning and construction laws that are adopted by the City, State and Federal Government.
The 911 Communications Division receives and dispatches emergency calls for area public-safety and public-service agencies and departments.
The Emergency Preparedness Division directs the local emergency operations plan, public warning system, emergency public information and resources for Hall County.
Both divisions operate from the Emergency Operating Center which is kept ready at all times to respond to emergencies and disasters.
The Finance Department keeps and records all money related business for the city. They collect taxes and pay city employees. All bills that are paid to the city go to the city finanace department.
The Fire Department works in three basic areas: putting fires out, fire prevention, and public education.
The Fire Department also responds to vehicle rescue, hazardous material emergencies, rescue of trapped or injured citizens, natural disaster, emergency medical calls and other life threatening situations. Occasionally we rescue a cat stuck in a tree.
The Human Resources Department's main job is hiring of the city employees.
The Legal Department gives legal advice to the Mayor, City Administrator, City Council, and all other Departments on City matters.
The Grand Island Public Library provides services through the Edith Abbott Memorial Library and the Hall County Bookmobile. It offers free and equal access to services and resources to meet the informational, recreational, and educational needs of the community.
The Parks and Recreation department is divided into five different divisions or parts. The Park Maintenance Division is responsible for maintenance and up keep of our city parks. The Cemetery Division is responsible for maintaining the city cemetery. The Recreation Division is responsible for the organization of city sport leagues and city sponsored athletic events. The Golf Division is in charge of the city golf course. The Aquatics Division is responsible for city pools and Island Oasis Water Park.
The Grand Island City Police are responsible for enforcing the law. They keep us all safe and tell us how we can prevent crime.
Public Works Department takes care of our streets, storm drainage, and wastewater collection projects. They do things like patching potholes, repairing concrete roads, sealing cracks, maintaining signs & signals, and snow removal. The Wastewater division is responsible for taking care of sewer collection lines and the operation of the wastewater treatment plant. Fleet Services keeps city equipment running and the Solid Waste Division operates the transfer station and landfill.
The Regional Planning Commission is responsible for approving all development proposals for Grand Island, Hall County, Wood River, Cairo, Doniphan and Alda.
The Grand Island Utilities Department produces and sends out electricity and water to homes, businesses, and industries in and near Grand Island. The Engineering Division is responsible for services to all Utility Divisions.