In the USA why can a city pass an ordinance without of vote of the people.?

Question

I know this is a Republic but why are some things like bond issues voted for and other things like raising the tax on gas just done without a vote. In Omaha Nebraska the city council decided that almost all buisnesses will be smoke free. Is this something that should be on the next ballot? Seems to me this should be the buisnesses choice.
My main question is in the US what kind of things are up for a vote and what is just decided?

Answer 1

You answered the question yourself. This is not a democracy; it is a representative republic. The voters have entrusted their elected representatives to make such decisions on their behalf. If the representatives don't make the decisions the populace agrees with, they can vote them out of office. Laws can be passed that place restrictions on what politicians can do without a vote of the people. For example, many states and municipalities have laws that say that politicians can raise taxes only with a vote of the people.

In most cases, voters put people in place that represent the will of the people. They do this mainly as a convenience because it's not practical to have the entire population vote on most issues. True democracy works only in very small populations -- like with the "town meetings" in New England. Beyond that, a representative form of government generally works the best.

Answer 2

It really depends on local law, by-laws, constitution, charter, etc.-- basically the law which grants what a ruling body (e.g. city councel) can and cannot do.

So things like bonds-- e.g. borrowing money or increasing a debt level -- may be things that the framers of the government decided had to be approved by a vote of the people. Things like public safety are things potentially granted to representatives of the people.

Then of course there are things that a ruling body will just do becauase they want to and can get away with. A few years ago, here in AZ, County officials created a tax so they could fund a stadium. (boy were people p*ssed)

Answer 3

It depends on the city and the ordinance. Most cities are general law cities and their councils can off course pass ordinances without the publics vote (but they do require public hearings in most cases). Charter cities can usually pass an ordinance without the publics vote unless the ordinance changes the charter. Taxes are different in most cities; most have adopted laws (ordinances) requiring the public to vote on them.

Answer 4

You're talking about two different things.

If an ordinance, i.e. a civil law, violates the will of the people, there is recourse for the people (petitions and signatures).

Bond issues are not civil laws, but direct money appropriation, and they can very by, say, school district, within a city.

Answer 5

it is decided at council meetings at which the public is welcome to attend and to voice there opinion. so do you go to any of the meetings in your town? did you know they had a council, and do you know your councilperson? you may learn alot if you get involved with your elected government. you may even have an idea of there ways of voting then you would know how to vote in your elections.