Counties II March 31, 2016
ORGANIZATION Executive functions are divided among a large number of elected and appointed officials.
The commissioners court is the board of directors for county government. It is composed of four county commissioners and the county judge. Commissioners Court
County Judge The county judge presides in commissioners court but has only one vote and no veto. He or she is the most visible county official, but has no authority to manage county government. Ed Emmett, Republican—Harris County Judge
Precincts County commissioners are elected from big districts called precincts in partisan elections to serve four-year terms.
Individual commissioners essentially run county government within their precincts. They oversee road repair and construction in their precincts. They control large road budgets and pick contractors to do county work. Meanwhile, they hire their own crews to do routine maintenance on county roads and in county facilities, such as parks and recreation centers. COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Steve Radack Why is this a big deal? You can hire your friends and campaign supporters to do the work.
sheriff The sheriff is the chief law enforcement official for the county. The sheriff operates the county jail. The sheriff assists county courts and district courts by serving arrest warrants and subpoenas, as well as providing deputies to serve as bailiffs. Sheriff Ron Hickman, Republican
District Attorney The district attorney's office prosecutes felony criminal cases in state district courts. District Attorney Devon Anderson, Republican
The county attorney advises commissioners court and other county officials on legal issues and represents the county in court, mostly lawsuits to collect delinquent property taxes. The county attorney's office also prosecutes misdemeanor cases in JP and county court, except in Harris County, where the district attorney prosecutes both felony and misdemeanor cases. County Attorney County Attorney Vince Ryan, Democrat
County Clerk The county clerk records legal documents, such as deeds, mortgages, and contracts, and keeps vital statistics on births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The county clerk is also the county election official. Harris County Clerk, Republican Stan Stanart
The district clerk maintains legal records for the district courts. The district clerk also manages jury duty to support the various county and district courts. District Clerk Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel
Justices of the Peace Justices of the peace (JPs) try minor criminal cases and hear small claims civil suits. The number of JPs in a county depends on its population.
Constables Each county elects as many constables as it has justices of the peace. Constables assist the JP court(s) by serving legal papers, such as subpoenas and warrants. Constables also handle evictions, execute judgments, and provide bailiffs for the justice courts.
The tax assessor collects the county's property taxes, collects fees for automobile license plates, and issues certificates-of-title for motor vehicles. In most counties, the tax assessor- collector also directs voter registration. Tax Assessor-Collector Republican Mike Sullivan is the tax assessor.
County Treasurer The county treasurer is responsible for receiving funds and making authorized expenditures. Orlando Sanchez, Republican, Treasurer
Historically, county departments of education coordinated relations among the common school districts within the county. Common school districts have now been replaced by independent school districts and most county boards of education have been eliminated. County Dept. Of Education
Quiz Which county official registers voters? A)County clerk B)District clerk C)Tax assessor D)County attorney The answer is C.
What You Have Learned How is county government organized? Which officials compose the commissioners court? Who are the elected officials of county government and what services do each of them provide?