State and Local Government

19,500+ Cities and Towns

There are over 19,500 cities/towns in the country, each with its own local government. Places with a population of 50,000 or more are generally considered to be cities. New York City is the nation's largest with more than 8.3 million people.

Massachusetts has 50 cities and 301 towns.

Local governments have an executive (a Select Board or a Mayor) and legislative branch (a town meeting or town/city council), depending on the size of the community.

Multiple Choice

A place is generally considered a CITY if it has more than how many people?

• 150,000

• 200,000

• 50,000

• 75,000

Multiple Choice

Which city in the United States has the most people with 8.3 million residents?

• Los Angeles
• Houston

• Chicago
• New York City

Multiple Choice

How many cities and towns are there in Massachusetts?

• 256

• 351

• 413
• 590

Elected Officials

It has been estimated that voters elect over 500,000 individuals to local government from mayors to school boards, city council members, and many other positions.

96% of those elected to government positions nationwide are elected locally. On average, more than two-thirds of those candidates run for office unopposed, giving voters no choice as to who wins. The impact these officials have on people's daily lives can be huge.

Multiple Choice

Across the United States, what percentage of those elected to government positions are elected locally?

• Approximately 53% of elected positions in the United States are elected locally.

• Approximately 78% of elected positions in the United States are elected locally

• Approximately 27% of elected positions in the United States are elected locally.

• Approximately 96% of elected positions in the United States are elected locally.

Multiple Choice

What percentage of those running for office run unopposed (meaning only one person runs for an open position)?

• 44%

• 50%
• 67%

• 25%

Open Ended

Why is it not great when so many elected officials run unopposed?

Let's see who we are going to hear from on Monday...

Civics Assembly: Monday, May 20

Mayor of Framingham

Charlie Sisitsky

●Became mayor on January 1, 2022.

●Has been a resident of Framingham since 1971.

●Has over 40 years of of public administration
leadership experience.

●Has served on the Potter Road PTO as his four
children have all graduated from Framingham
Public Schools.

●Has served on Framingham’s Finance Committee
and has been a Town Meeting member.

●After Framingham’s adoption of its City Charter, Mr.
Sisitsky was elected City Councilor, and served as
Chairman of the Planning & Zoning subcommittee
of the City Council.

●After receiving his graduate degree, Mr. Sisitsky was
the youngest City Planner in Massachusetts.

Open Ended

What is one thing from Mayor Sisitsky's biography that stands out to you?

As the official leader of the City of Framingham, the Mayor is responsible for providing leadership to the community and administration of all City departments and services.

The mayor oversees city operations.

They mayor is also responsible for proposing the city’s budget (i.e., how the city spends its money).

Role of Mayor

Multiple Choice

What is the mayor is responsible for proposing?

• Proposing new buildings
• Making new laws

• Organizing community events
• Proposing budgets for the city

Framingham City Councilor

Philip Ottaviani

●Chair of Framingham City Council

●Small Business Owner and Local Realtor

●Has served as the chair of the Zoning
Board of Appeals

●Was a Town Meeting member for over
25 years

●Member of the Framingham Rotary Club,
Framingham Elks, and the Framingham
History Center

●His daughter graduated from
Framingham High School in 2023

The City Council serves as a link between the citizens of Framingham and their municipal government. Councilors help constituents by connecting them to resources, services, and City departments. They serve as advocates for all Framingham residents. Through their work, city councilors ensure that Framingham continues to be a great place to live, work, and play. The City Council is the sole legislative body of the City and is therefore responsible for passing all City ordinances.

Framingham City Council

Multiple Choice

What branch of our local government is the City Council?

• Judicial
• Administrative
• Legislative
• Executive

School Committee Member

Jennifer Moshe

●Vice Chair of the School Committee

●Elected to School Committee in
November 2021.

●Local business owner.

●Has been active on the Brophy PTO, and
served for several years as Treasurer.

●Has three children who have graduated
from or currently attend Framingham
Public Schools

School Committees are one of the most important components of local government and a tremendously influential part of the American educational system.

A school committee is a legal agency “created for the purpose of implementing state legislative policy concerning public schools and locally administering the state's system of public education.”

School committees control the day-to-day operation of schools in their districts, setting policies on everything from staffing, equipment purchases, school start and end times, finance and expenditures, and extracurricular activities.

School Committee

Multiple Choice

What are school committees responsible for?

• Designing computer software
• Overseeing various aspects of the school's operations
• Hiring teachers

• Implementing citywide recycling programs

FPS Superintendent

Dr. Robert Tremblay

●Became superintendent on April 1, 2017.

●Served as superintendent in Milford and
Weston before coming to Framingham.

●Has more than two decades of school
and district leadership experience.

A superintendent is essentially the chief executive of a school district. This includes elementary, middle and high schools.

Superintendents are hired by community school committees to create and execute a shared vision for their district.

In other words, superintendents are managers who oversee the day-to-day operations of a school district, but they are also leaders who aspire to improve student achievement.

School Superintendent

Multiple Select

What is the role of the superintendent? (There are TWO correct answers)

• To approve the school's budget

• To design the curriculum for individual classes
• To oversee the day-to-day operations of a school district

• To be a leader who aspires to improve student achievement.