地方制度法專題：談美國「Home Rule」的地方制度
陳誠 大學助理教授/曾任國家文官
在美國的地方自治體系中，很多邦（state，或譯為州）都非常重視Home Rule的特有制度。個人以為，所謂的Home Rule翻譯為「自治（自主自治）」或「在地治理」都可以，但它的意思與台灣所講的「自治」或「地方自治」不盡然相同。
因為，Home Rule是一種更具高度自主組織性的地方自治型態，係指：在邦憲法或邦法律的直接授權下，由地方自治團體制定自己的「憲章」，使地方自治團體具備自己所創設的公法人資格，而實施地方自治以處理地方居民事務的分權制度之謂。
從而，所謂的home rule cities（自主憲章之地方）與statutory cities（法律授與之地方）的差別是在於權限與組織（也就是自主組織權），而非在於人口、面積、所處位置或其他特徵之差異（population, size, location, or any other physical feature）。再詳言之，所謂的home rule charter則是指地方自治團體自己所定的憲法（憲章），即用以規範自己實施地方自治的基本法律。
舉例來說，美國的地方自治學者會這麼說：Washington State statutes allow counties to adopt, by public vote, a "Home Rule Charter". Adopting a charter allows counties to adopt a "constitution" that can change their form of government and/or create requirements for the operation of government beyond those required in the State’s constitution.
那到底home rule charter所規範的地方權限與組織的內容有哪些呢？我的唸書心得告訴我，就是：地方自治團體的名稱（name）、區域疆界（boundaries）、自治權限（municipal powers）、選舉制度（elections）、議會與市長（council and mayor）、議會程序（council procedure）、自治條例（legislation）、創制及複決（initiative and referendum）、自治行政結構（municipal administration）、人事制度（personnel）、司法制度（legal and judiciary）、機關單位及委員會組織（boards and commissions）、財政預算制度（finance and budget）、地方稅課（taxation）、市政基金（municipal funding）、都市計畫改良區（improvement districts）、府際關係（intergovernmental relations）、公共設施及利用權（utilities and franchises）等內容。
有別於此，Statutory cities are organized, and have the powers and duties set in state statute, for example in Minnesota Statutes is chapter 412, known as the statutory city code. 若對照於美國的home rule cities（自主憲章之地方）與statutory cities（法律授與之地方），筆者發現台灣縣有的縣市、鄉鎮市之自治制度，都應該算是介於home rule cities（自主憲章之地方）與statutory cities（法律授與之地方）兩者間，因台灣的縣市、鄉鎮市係可依據地方制度法、地方行政機關組織準則及地方立法機關組織準則等中央法律、法規命令之授與，制定及訂定自己的組織自治條例與組織規程（具有類似自主憲章之效果），來確認自己的組織與權限。
回到美國的home rule cities（自主憲章之地方）與statutory cities（法律授與之地方）來說，若單以Minnesota（明尼蘇達州）為例，我們可以這麼說： There are basically four types of cities in Minnesota: standard plan statutory cities, Plan A statutory cities, Plan B statutory cities, and home rule charter cities.
The standard plan statutory city has a city council that consists of an elected mayor, an elected clerk, and three (sometimes five) elected council members. The treasurer is also elected but is not a member of the city council. Of the 853 cities in Minnesota, 130 are standard plan statutory cities.
The Plan A city council consists of an elected mayor and four (sometimes six) elected council members. The clerk and treasurer are appointed offices and neither is a member of the city council. There are 600 Plan A statutory cities in Minnesota.
The Plan B city council consists of an elected mayor and four (sometimes six) elected council members. The city council retains its legislative power, but appoints a manager who is responsible for overseeing city staff and making hiring decisions. The Plan B form of government is often referred to as the council-managerial plan. There are 16 Plan B statutory cities in Minnesota.
Home rule charter cities are able to design their own form of government by the adoption of a charter. Sometimes the form will be similar to the statutory city forms of government. Other times, the structure may be entirely unique. There are 107 home rule charter cities in Minnesota. Home rule charter cities should check their city charters for details regarding their government structure.
最後，必須說明的是，此處所講的明尼蘇達州之四種類型的地方制度之資料來源為League of Minnesota Cities所提供，網址為
http://www.lmnc.org/index.cfm，有興趣的人，也可以研讀看看。
