National Association of Counties
American Legal Publishing: Municipal Code Library
Municipal Codes: A Beginner's Guide (Library of Congress)
Bylaws
A set of rules by which a municipality conducts its business. Bylaws govern activities such as meetings, votes, record-keeping, and budgeting.
Charters
A charter is the legal document that sets forth the organization and framework for a local government. Similar to the federal or a state constitution, the charter describes the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the various governmental branches and departments in a particular municipality or county.
Municipal Corporation
The legal structure assigned to a municipality. As a corporation, a municipality can buy and sell property and carry out legal action.
Ordinances & Codes
Ordinances are the general laws enacted by local governments. Like state statutes and regulations, ordinances have binding authority on all individuals and entities within the local jurisdiction in which they are enacted. They are also published in subject compilations called codes.
At the city level, the codes are typically referred to as municipal codes. Some local jurisdictions publish a regular code as well as an administrative code that focuses on the powers and duties of the various legal institutions within the jurisdiction.
Police Power
The legal term for the ability to use police to regulate the behavior of a municipality's residents.
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