Forms of government

Just as the powers and duties of a county are set by the state, so, too, is its form of government. Most counties, however, share similar plans of government.

COUNTY BOARDS. The most im­portant governing body in most counties is the county board. A county board is a group of citizens who are elected by the people of a county to carry out the county's business. In some states, the county board is known as a board of commissioners. In others, it is known as a board of supervisors.

The number of members of a county board varies. Most have less than ten mem­bers. Some counties, however, especially those that contain large cities, have boards of up to 100 members. County boards usually have regular meetings, at least once a month.

Most county boards have both legislative and executive authority. That is, the boards have legislative duties in which they make laws. Such local laws are called ordinances. County boards also have executive duties in which they carry out the laws.

County boards usually supervise a num­ber of special boards assigned to handle matters concerning a certain subject. These boards may include a board of health or a board of elections. Members of these special boards usually are appointed by the county board. They also may be chosen by certain state leaders, or elected by the people.

OTHER COUNTY LEADERS. Be­sides the county board, the citizens of most counties also choose several other county leaders. The duties of these leaders are described in Figure 2.

In recent years, many counties have added a manager to their plan of government. The manager works to coordinate goals and carry out programs for the local government.

A county manager may be chosen in different ways. In most areas, the county board appoints a manager to carry out its decisions. In a few counties, however, a manager is elected by the people of the county.