1. Counties, Towns and Townships

2. Counties County: Created by the State Function varies region to region
None in Connecticut and Rhode Island to 254 in Texas
Louisiana they are called parishes
Alaska they are called boroughs
Function varies region to region
Serve almost fully as judicial districts in the New England States
In South and West, counties a the major units of government in rural areas

3. Governing Body
Often called the county board, board of commissioners, police jury, fiscal court, county court, and board of chosen freeholders
Members are often always popularly elected
Terms run 1-8 years (most commonly 4 years)
County boards can be grouped into two groups:
Board of commissioners and Board of Supervisors
Board of commissioners is the smaller and most common
Commonly has 3-5 members some may have 7 or more
Board of supervisors is much larger (15 members but can be 80)

4. The State constitution and the State legislature spell out the powers held by the county
Usually both legislative (deal with finance, levying taxes, appropriating money, incurring limited debts) and executive
Administrative functions-county road program, county property (court house, jail, hospital and parks)
Responsible for hiring county employees and determining the pay

5. Functions of Counties
Responsible for administering State laws as the State constitution and legislature allows
Most counties remain rural even today
Keep the peace, maintain the jails, collect taxes, spend county funds build and repair roads, bridges, drains, maintain schools
Counties record deeds, mortgages, licenses, marriage licenses and other documents
Administer elections and cares for the poor

6. Sheriff
Runs the county jail; provides police protection in rural areas, carries out local court orders and often collects taxes
Clerk
Registers and records documents like deeds, mortgages, birth/death certificates; often runs county elections; secretary to the county board and clerk of local courts
Assessor
Appraises (sets the value of) taxable property in the county and collects county property taxes
Treasurer
Keeps county funds; makes payments from these funds
Auditor
Keeps financial records; authorizes payments for county expenses
District Attorney
Conducts criminal investigations; prosecutes criminal cases
School Superintendent
Administers public elementary and secondary schools in the county
Coroner
Investigates violent deaths; certifies causes of deaths not attended by a physician

7. The Need to Reform County organization can be chaotic
Authority is divided among elected boards and officials
This makes it hard to blame someone for inefficiency or inaction
Large number of popularly elected officials make the counties ballots long
The size and number of the counties in some States are also a weakness

8. One way State’s have tried to reform counties is through county home rule
States allow some or all of their counties, to decide the details of their own government structure
37 States permit this, although the counties do not take advantage of it
County-Manager (we have this here in Franklin County!)
Like a city-manager

9. Towns and Townships Commonly found from New England to the Midwest
In New England, towns are a major unit of local government
Each town usually includes all of the rural and urban areas
1620-pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock
Desire to be near the church, severe climate, and poor farm land led to closer communities

10. The town government is still similar to colonial times
Town meetings- an assembly open to all of the town’s eligible voters
Meets yearly, sometimes more often
3 member board who deals with roads, schools, care of the poor, and sanitation
Officers are selected at town hall meetings: town clerk, tax assessor, tax collectors, a constable, road commissioners, and school board members**********

11. Townships
In PA, townships were formed as areas were settled and people needed the services of a local government
Governing body is a board of trustees or board of supervisors
Serve 2-4 year terms
Supervisor, clerk, treasurer, assessor, constable, justice of the peace, body of road commissioners
Rural-handle roads, cemeteries, drainage, and minor law enforcement

12. Special Districts
Special District- an independent unit created to perform one or more related governmental functions at the local level
School districts are an example of special districts
Found in rural and suburban areas
Created to provide water, sewage, or electrical service and to build and maintain bridges, airports, swimming pools, libraries or parks

13. Generally an elected board
Some special districts for soil conservation, housing, public transportation even for dogs or mosquito control
Created out of the need to provide a service for either a wide or small area covered by a city or county
Some formed because the local government could not or would not provide services
Generally an elected board
Power to lay taxes or charge fees, and spend and carry out its function