Proximity to the people does not prevent abuse of power. In fact, it often does the opposite. Municipal governments enact restrictive policies just as easily as state or federal governments and often with less scrutiny.
There is a myth in America that the closer government is to the people, the more checks exist and the better the governance. By that logic, local governments, city and town councils, being closest to the people, must be the least corrupt and most responsive. Because of this, municipalities and their proponents constantly argue that they should be free to govern their communities without interference, or as it’s often framed, maintain “local control.”
The local control argument might seem intuitive, however, does shifting power from one level of government to another actually protect individual freedom? The burden on the people is the same, if not more, whether bad policy comes in the form of higher taxes, increased fees, restrictive regulations, or costly utility rate hikes from federal, state, or local government.
In Gilbert, residents have been outraged by astronomical water bills and rate increases, decisions made not in Washington, D.C. or in Phoenix, but by their own local government. Proximity did not protect them; it made the impact more immediate. Gilbert is not the only town with unceasing increased costs, municipalities across Arizona are raising taxes, fees, and rates (good thing there is a resolution moving through the legislature to alleviate this).
Some argue that cities are to the state what states are to the federal government. That comparison fails. States created the federal government and, under our federal system, are recognized as sovereign entities. Cities, counties, and districts, by contrast, are creations of the state; the Arizona Constitution specifically delineates this. As a result, any authority municipalities exercise is not inherent but delegated by the state. Because of this, it is the state’s responsibility to place checks on local governments. And it is therefore completely within the legislature’s authority to reign in out-of-control city governments. Local control, as is often presented, is a fallacy.
The people give power to the states and the states delegate power to the municipalities. In this debate, the most important stakeholder is ignored: the individual. Any authority that shifts from the state to the cities does not reduce government but simply relocates it.
The meaning of “local control” must be reframed. The real question is not which level of government holds power, but how much power government should have over individuals in the first place. The answer should be as little as possible. True local control means empowering individuals, families, and businesses to make decisions without excessive regulation or extreme taxation.
The goal of any level of government should be to protect the individual’s ability to live and operate freely. American values and traditions prioritize self-governance at the personal level, not the shifting of power among government entities. So no, your city council taxing you is no better than the state legislature or Congress levying onerous taxes on you.
When did we, the people, become so complacent that we allow governments to tax and control us so extensively? A few centuries ago, Americans were throwing tea into the harbor to protest unjust taxation. Now, it is rampant. Do we not care that our freedom today is miniscule compared to what the Founders envisioned for us?
Local control is just that: control. The people are at the top of the power distribution pyramid, NOT your town councilmember. We must return America back to the land of the free and not the land of 100% water rate hikes.
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