Consolidated city-county

In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is a city and county that have a merged government, and is considered both a city and a county under the laws of the State. This is not to be confused with a independent city, which is a city that doesn't belong to any county in the state. This arrangement in the U.S. is frequently referred to as a metropolitan government.

A similar arrangement used to exist in the United Kingdom where it was known as a county borough.

Similar arrangements exist in other countries such as Landshut, Germany and Landshut County, Bavaria, Germany and Seoul, South Korea which is a Special City.

Wyandotte County, Kansas uses the term "unified government" to refer to its consolidation where a few city governments have been merged with the county government while other cities and towns retain a traditional relationship with the county.

List of consolidated city-counties:

• Denver and Denver County, Colorado
• Jacksonville, Florida and Duval County, Florida: four cities within Duval County retain separate governments, all other rural land is incorporated by Jacksonville, preventing any annexation by them or new cities.
• Philadelphia and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
• San Francisco and San Francisco County, California
• New Orleans and Orleans Parish, Louisiana
• Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana--Not completely consolidated; four communities within Marion County retain separate governments.
• City of New York [1] and:
  • New York County, New York (Manhattan) (Note that New York County was for many years coextensive with New York City. When the five-borough "Greater New York" was created in 1898, New York County became coextensive with the two boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx, while the other three boroughs became separate counties within the city. In 1916, Bronx County was separated from New York County, which from that point on coincided with the borough of Manhattan, reverting to its territorial extent before the annexation of portions of what had been Westchester County in the 1890's.)
  • Queens County, New York (Queens)
  • Kings County, New York (Brooklyn)
  • Bronx County, New York (Bronx)
  • Richmond County, New York (Staten Island)
• Honolulu and Honolulu County, Hawaii [2]
• Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee--Not completely consolidated; six communities within Davidson County retain separate governments
• Athens, Georgia and Clarke County, Georgia
• Augusta, Georgia and Richmond County, Georgia
• Columbus, Georgia and Muscogee County, Georgia
• Lafayette, Louisiana and Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
• Lexington, Kentucky and Fayette County, Kentucky [3]
• Louisville, Kentucky and Jefferson County, Kentucky [4]
• Broomfield, Colorado and Broomfield County, Colorado [5]
• Juneau City and Borough, Alaska
• Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
• Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska
• Butte, Montana and Silver Bow County, Montana
• Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Montana
• Lynchburg, Tennessee and Moore County, Tennessee
• Hartsville, Tennessee and Trousdale County, Tennessee
• Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County, Kansas--are part of the "Unified Government" which contains Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs, Kansas and Edwardsville, Kansas. The "Unified Government" retains a county relationship with other communities within its borders.

Potentially consolidated governments

• Fort Wayne, Indiana and Allen County, Indiana
• El Paso, Texas and El Paso County, Texas [6]
• Houma, Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
• Montgomery, Alabama and Montgomery County, Alabama
• Schenectady, New York and Schenectady County, New York
• Toledo, Ohio and Lucas County, Ohio

Many cities around the United States are considering merging their governments with the county that comprises them. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, New York are among these cities.