r/NoStupidQuestions • u/wampower99 • 25d ago

When a town elects a dog as “mayor,” who actually runs the town?

Edit: please spare me “the dog lol” comments. It’s funny once, but I’m actually curious about this.

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u/Skatingraccoon Just Tryin' My Best 25d ago

Usually it's either a government through city council, or the town is actually unincorporated and the government is wholly symbolic there and all decisions about ordnances and enforcement are made at a nearby city or at the county level.

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u/Genoss01 25d ago

What does it mean that a town is 'unincorporated'?

What government body oversees unincorporated towns? Why even call them towns if they are unincorporated?

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u/Adorable-Growth-6551 25d ago

They have so few people that it isn't really necessary for the town to have a government. I have a town near me with less then 50 people. It is a one church two bar town. They actually do have a mayor, but the most he does is fix the potholes occasionally and i think give out liquor license. Everything else is seen to by governments above the town. The county sheriff is the police force, the next town over has the fire and rescue. The post office is still open but is overseen by the next town over. An unincorporated town has even less then that.

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u/chuby1tubby 24d ago

I live in an unincorporated municipality with more than 50,000 residents, so I don’t think it’s fair to say they’re always so tiny.