County commissioners are elected officials responsible for administering county government
. Their duties include overseeing county management and administration, representing county interests at the state and federal level, participating in long-range planning, and managing the county budget and finances
. Their responsibilities include
:
- Administering county governmental services such as correctional institutions, courts, and public health oversight
- Adopting county laws and ordinances on topics such as public health, parks, solid waste management, roads and highways, zoning, and land use
- Appointing members to various county boards and commissions
- Authorizing contracts and receiving bids
- Controlling, maintaining, and supervising county property such as the courthouse, hospitals, libraries, and jails
- Developing and adopting the county's budget, determining property tax levies, and exploring other revenue sources
- Directing the treasurer to invest public funds and monitoring the county's fiscal health
- Establishing, altering, or abolishing roads, bridges, or ferries
- Fixing tax levies for the county and its subordinate jurisdictions
- Levying local taxes
- Making and enforcing civil and criminal resolutions and ordinances that don't conflict with state law, including those for land use and building construction
- Overseeing the personnel system
- Performing certain election functions, such as establishing precincts and providing polling places
- Prosecuting and defending all actions for and against the county
- Representing community interests during meetings of the county board and at state and federal events
- Serving as county representatives at public and private industry events at the state and federal level and communicating the county’s concerns to state legislators and federal policymakers
- Supporting and implementing state and federal mandates
