County Government in Texas

Local Government in Texas•Local officials should be easily

accountable to the public.

•Conditioned upon public and media attention•More time cost to follow local news and politics

•Easier to keep informed of higher offices•High volume of national media coverage in virtually all outlets, including local news

County Government in Texas

• Texas has more than 4,835 local governments.• That is *a lot* of government for a

state so much associated with limited and small government.

• 254 county units

• 1,209 municipal (cities) units

• 1,082 school districts

• 2,291 special districts• Ex.: water, utility, community college,

hospital

County Government in Texas

•More authority in sparsely populated areas

•Administer state laws (do little legislation)

•Historical origins, began as “municipalities”• 1835, 23 municipalities

• 1836, Republic of Texas changes name to “counties”

• 1921, there were 254 counties (same as today)

County Government in Texas•County commissioners court

•Main governing unit of the county

• Sets budget and county tax rate• County may not legislate much, but

tax rates certainly impact local residents, business, and industry

•Composition•One county judge

• Four county commissioners

Countywide and Precinct-Level

Elected Officials

County Government in Texas•County judge• Elected countywide

• Four-year terms, no limits

• In rural counties, may also serve as actual judge

• Most cases is administrator for the county

•County commissioners• Elected by geographic districts• Each one-quarter of county

• Four-year terms, no limits

The County Commissioners Court

Primary Functions of County Government

County Government in Texas• County government responsibilities• Maintain roads, bridges, and county jails

• Cover some health care costs for indigent

• Large counties maintain public facilities• Libraries, parks, or public hospitals

• Assist with natural disaster logistics and costs

• Administer all elections in the county• No matter the offices on the ballot, counties

are responsible for election administration

County Government in Texas

• County government responsibilities, staff, and resources vary dramatically• Reflect population and land size differences

• Compare• Loving County: pop. 94; size 681 sq. mi.

• Harris County: pop. 4.2 million; size 1778 sq. mi.

• Medium and small counties vulnerable• Natural disasters, costly trials can exhaust budget

Functions of CountyGovernment

• Five main functions of county government1. Road and bridge construction and maintenance

2. Law enforcement

3. Dispute resolution

4. Record keeping

5. Social services

Functions of CountyGovernment

• Law enforcement• Sheriff: chief county law enforcement officer

• Provide deputies for courthouses

• Maintain county jails

• County and district courts• Attorneys for county and district

• DAs typically handle the more serious crimes.

• County prosecutors take less serious cases.

• In smaller counties, duties are not split in that fashion.

Functions of CountyGovernment

• County clerks keep records.• Vital stats for county (births, deaths, marriages)

• Issue licenses (driving, marriage)

• Maintain court records

• Record property transactions

• Dispute resolution• Justice of the peace, county and district courts resolve civil

disputes

Functions of CountyGovernment

• Counties may provide a range of services.• Some of them are a matter of administering federal- and

state-funded programs

• Nutrition and housing assistance

• Health care (including mental health)

• Public health monitoring and records

• Public parks

• Fire and sanitation