Practice Test Geeks(CMC) Certified Municipal Clerk Practice Test
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Local Government Law & Ethics Flashcards

7 cards from real CMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Local Government Law & Ethics flashcards as text

  1. Which type of municipal ordinance establishes permanent rules governing conduct within the municipality?

    Answer: General ordinance

    General ordinances are permanent legislative enactments that establish rules of conduct and carry the force of law within the municipality.

  2. A municipal clerk discovers that an ordinance was published with a typographical error in a dollar amount. What is the proper remedy?

    Answer: The council adopts a corrective ordinance or amendment

    Substantive errors in adopted ordinances must be corrected through the formal legislative process by adopting an amending or corrective ordinance.

  3. What is the purpose of a 'grandfather clause' in a municipal zoning ordinance?

    Answer: To allow pre-existing nonconforming uses to continue under new regulations

    A grandfather clause allows lawfully established uses or structures that do not conform to new zoning regulations to continue operating as nonconforming uses.

  4. Which of the following best describes 'home rule' authority?

    Answer: A municipality's constitutional or statutory authority to govern local affairs without state legislative approval

    Home rule grants municipalities the power to legislate on local matters without needing express state authorization, contrasting with Dillon's Rule.

  5. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), municipalities must ensure that:

    Answer: Programs and services are accessible to persons with disabilities, not necessarily every facility

    The ADA requires that municipal programs and services be accessible to persons with disabilities, using a program-access rather than facility-by-facility standard for older buildings.

  6. What is a 'quasi-judicial' function of a local government body?

    Answer: Deciding a specific permit application based on established criteria

    Quasi-judicial functions involve applying established legal standards to specific facts to reach a decision, such as ruling on a variance application or zoning appeal.

  7. Which of the following is typically considered a 'proprietary function' of a municipality rather than a 'governmental function'?

    Answer: Operating a municipal electric utility

    Proprietary functions are those the municipality performs in a business-like capacity for profit or revenue, such as utilities, while governmental functions are core public services.