It's a real mish-mash here in Florida. County governments have more structure than in most states. Some counties have combined city and county fire departments, but not consistently. City limits bear no relationship to growth patterns, so you can be on a street in an urban area and find yourself entering or leaving a city in the middle of a block. There are no city schools, only county. Law enforcement is separate. Each city has a police department, and in addition the counties each have a sheriff's department. Not to mention state troopers, who can be found just about anywhere on the major highways. I've always felt that this system was confusing and wasteful. And city residents must pay both city and county taxes, which seems less than fair. Two of the largest cities have incorporated their entire counties: The city of Jacksonville encompasses all of Duval County, and Miami is officially known as Miami-Dade, since it includes all of Dade County. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out who's in charge.
