Subdivision used by most states in the United States, Geographic relationships between cities and counties, The 8 county equivalents with zero people are, At the time of the most recent 2010 census, 3,143 counties and equivalents were recorded in the 50, These 11 statistical areas are used solely by the. Cemetery function of special districts, 4. Arlington County, Virginia, is 67 square kilometers while the North Slope Borough of. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 4 municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands as county equivalents. LOS ANGELES - A county organized health system (COHS) that arranges services for Medi-Cal enrollees in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and three Central Coast health care providers have agreed to pay a total of $68 million to resolve allegations that . The "middle" states and the new northwestern states created counties that were hybrids of the northern and southern models. "Home rule" reforms to state constitutions allow counties to create and revise their own charters. Other key county officials include the coroner/medical examiner, treasurer, assessor, auditor, comptroller, and district attorney. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. These positions may include county clerk, county treasurer, county surrogate, sheriff, and others. Washington counties are organized under two forms of government: the commission form and the home rule charter form. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2000. In the council-elected executive form, the county executive is elected by the voters and serves as the head of the executive branch of government. The Census of Governments provides the only source of periodic information that identifies and describes all units of government in the U.S. This category also includes the Chicago School Finance Authority which assists the Chicago Board of Education in financing school operations. Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown. Under this system counties could potentially exercise a high degree of discretionary authority. . A locked padlock Highway function of special districts, 12. Operation and maintenance of gas supply systems including acquisition and distribution of natural gas. [4][32], Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. [37] The county prosecuting attorney and the judges of the superior court are also independently elected. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments.[36]. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people),[52] although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. ." Summaries are divided according to the five basic types of local governments. Provisions of sanitary and storm sewers and sewage disposal facilities and services. The 2022 Individual State Descriptions report will also be available in Spring 2024. Electric power function of special districts, 6. Financing, construction, acquisition, maintenance, or operation of hospital facilities, provision of hospital care, and support of public or private hospitals. For this reason, the commission form of government is sometimes referred to as a "plural executive" form of government. The county treasurer collects and disburses county funds. In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Outpatient health services, other than hospital care, including: public health administration; research and education; categorical health programs; treatment and immunization clinics; nursing; environmental health activities such as air and water pollution control; ambulance service if provided separately from fire protection services; and other general public health activities such as mosquito abatement. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. An official website of the United States government. Our surveys provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. A political subdivision of a state, the power and importance of which varies from one state to another. The coroner runs the county morgue and oversees medical investigations. Jefferson County, for Thomas Jefferson, is next with 26. Lock This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making. Browse our collection of stories and more. [15] In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas. Within Government Organization & Structure, Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Special districts (such as water districts, fire districts, library districts, mosquito abatement districts, and so on), The number of active governments by type and by state, Descriptions of the responsibilities and authority of local governments in each state, 11tables providing local government counts including data obtained from the 2021 Government Units Survey (, 2022 Governments Master Address File - list of all governments in the United States. The name given to the new county under the Local Government Act of 1972 was de, County College of Morris: Narrative Description, County College of Morris: Distance Learning Programs, Country, Conscience, and the Anti-Slavery Cause, County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union 1989, County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union 492 U.S. 573 (1989), Coupland, Douglas 1961- (Douglas Campbell Coupland), https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/county-government, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/counties. Jeffrey, Blake B., Tanis B. Salant, and Alan L. Boroshok. The U.S. Constitution established a federal system whereby governmental power was divided between the national government and the states. This "fee system" of compensation was established in and protected by many state constitutions. Counties have also played a major administrative role in welfare programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid, and in state mandated environmental programs. The reform with the most potential for serious change in county government is not structural, but constitutional. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. Commission Form. In cases in which a consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. The county attorney prosecutes people suspected of crimes and provides legal counsel to the county. In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by the board. This number is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states. Digging Into Public Works In-person regional forums and training resources for public works staff and local contractors. All of Guam is counted as one county equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau. Land and Water Area of States and Other Entities: 2008", "Municipalities of Northern Mariana Islands", Assessment of the Birds of Swains Island, American Samoa, Atoll envisioned as a model for sustainability, Where Americans are moving, by county, in 2010, Lists of United States counties and county equivalents, Named after Confederate historical figures, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, List of administrative divisions by country, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=County_(United_States)&oldid=1162739878, Administrative divisions in North America, Second-level administrative divisions by country, Articles with dead external links from April 2020, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 30 June 2023, at 21:42. County governments in the United States function as local administrative arms within the states. In this form, an elected body, be it a county commission or council, continues to have the policy-making, legislative, and budget-adoption functions. Prior to July 1, 2016, there were 42 independent cities. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands (, City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, City and County of San Francisco, California, government of JacksonvilleDuval County, Florida, districts of the United States Virgin Islands, islands of the United States Virgin Islands, municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands, List of United States counties and county equivalents, List of highest counties in the United States, List of the most common U.S. county names, Northern Islands Municipality (Northern Mariana Islands), Connecticut's nine councils of governments, "Territories of United States Minor Outlying Islands", "2010 FIPS Codes for Counties and County Equivalent Entities", "States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities (Chapter 4)", "County Totals Datasets: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012", "2010 Census Geographic Entity Tallies by State and Type", "Substantial Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970Present", "Broomfield 50th anniversary: Success in first 50 years stemmed from bold actions", "Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970-Present", "Petersburg Becomes 19th Borough In Alaska", "Alaska Statutes Title 29 Chapter 03. ." Maryland Association of Counties is a nonprofit organization that represents Maryland's 23 counties & Baltimore City and advocates and promotes county issues to the state government and the public. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. County Charters have been adopted in 23 New York counties, 18 of which currently have . The county recorder normally maintains the official record of all real estate transactions. It included the county borough of Worcester, the old co, Wiltshire is one of the larger counties, more than 50 miles from north to south. [12] Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's, in 1637, and Massachusetts followed in 1643. The county system was borrowed from England, began in the southern agricultural states, and scattered population gathered at the county seat to discuss issues.The county board is elected by voters and forms the legislative body. The commission shares administrative responsibility among the many members and other elected officials such as the sheriff and treasurer. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. A Progressive Era reform movement sought to alter the commission structure by adding a professional executive. Construction, maintenance, operation, and support of airport facilities. After people, the next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in countries such as the United Kingdom. County governments are organized in a few different ways. ." Solid waste management function of special districts, 24. While nearly all counties assume the traditional "housekeeping" roles identified earlier, only the counties with populations over one million tend to assume all of the roles identified above. Sewerage function of special districts, 21. County and Municipal Government in NC: Chapter 1, An Overview of Local Government. The Oxford Companion to British History. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Instead, the county government's legislative power is usually limited to zoning issues and building regulations. At that time, On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau formally recognized. Operation and maintenance of electric power system including production or acquisition and distribution of electric power. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does the relationship between counties and incorporated cities. County Governments Organized county governments are found throughout the Nation except for Connecticut, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and limited portions of other states where certain county areas lack a distinct county government. The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia, with a land area of 1.999squaremiles (5.177km2). [14] In 1955, delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties.[16]. In Louisiana, the county governments The election commissioner oversees voter registration and elections. A county is the largest political subdivision of the state having corporate powers. As of 2020[update], there are currently 3,143counties and county-equivalents in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Organized local entities other than county, municipal, township or school district governments. There is a separate summary for each state and the District of Columbia. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics, holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). Learn About The Law / Civic Engagement / Making Sense of Local Government / How County Governments Work How County Governments Work By Joseph Fawbush, Esq. The Individual State Descriptions report provides information about the organization of state and local governments in the U.S. About The White House Powers not granted to the Federal government are reserved for States and the people, which are divided between State and local governments. County governments are the largest political subdivision within a state and mostly function to administer state laws. The Northern Mariana Islands do not have counties. Quite a few counties bear names of Native American, French, or Spanish origin.[34]. County Governments in an Era of Change. beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries, and public housing. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. The shire-reeve, or "sheriff" shared power with the justices of the peace. [5], The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas. New York City is an unusual case because it encompasses multiple entire counties in one city. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Government in the English county operated under a plural executive. Special district governments that provide ambulance services exclusively are classified under health. Includes irrigation, drainage, flood control, forestry and forest fire protection, soil reclamation, soil and water conservation, and fish and game programs. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. Guam does not have counties. Organized local governments authorized in state constitutions and statutes and established to provide general government for a defined area; includes those governments designated as cities, boroughs (except in Alaska), towns (except in the six New England states, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin), and villages. COUNTY GOVERNMENT. County Government Leadership Duties Organization 3. Municipal governments are distinguished from township governments primarily by the historical circumstances surrounding their incorporation. County Government Structure. A locked padlock A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names:[21]. . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. June 26 2023, 2023 Legislative Session Outcomes for Procurement and Contracting, Part 2 The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California, with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. Metropolitan Government and Governance: Theoretical Perspectives, Empirical Analysis, and the Future. Overview The Individual State Descriptions report provides information about the organization of state and local governments in the U.S. Library function of special districts, 16. They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control, probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. These include adopting a budget, passing county resolutions, and hiring . Home page at http://www.naco.org. Executive power remained diffused and the North-South distinctions in the scope of county responsibility also remained. Construction, purchase, maintenance, and operation of public-use parking lots, garages, parking meters, and other distinctive parking facilities on a commercial basis. In the United Kingdom the county, or shire, has historically been the principal subdivision of the country for political, administrative, judicial, and cultural purposes. County government is the public administration of a county, borough or parish. Stephens, G. Ross, and Nelson Wikstrom. Official websites use .gov Full implementation will be completed by 2024. It had no clear geographi, Dyfed Explore census data with visualizations and view tutorials. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Local government in California - Wikipedia Local government in California The city halls of some of the major California cities. From 1666 to 1960, Connecticut had a system of county governments, which each had limited powers given to it by the General Assembly. The most influential case of this type is Pennsylvania, which in 1682 established three county commissions with commissioners elected "at large" By the citizens of each county. The United States Census Bureau uses the term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. The first home rule charter was adopted by Los Angeles County, California, in 1913. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Access demographic, economic and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The same procedures applicable to the adoption of a county charter also govern the adoption of a city-county charter, except that the only method of beginning the combined city-county charter process is through a voter petition. [4][5] American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be "minor civil divisions" (not true counties) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The counties in the southern colonies modeled themselves on Virginia, while northern colonies developed differently. Washington, D.C.: National Association of Counties, 1989. The county sheriff heads police protection, serves warrants from the county courts, and runs the county jail. County government synonyms, County government pronunciation, County government translation, English dictionary definition of County government. . Eight counties served as administrative districts for the commonwealth. In the twentieth century local voters rejected roughly eighty percent of merger proposals. Formoreinformation, visit the GUS website. Sherman, Daniel John "County Government The shires were renamed "counties" after the Norman Conquest in 1066, but retained their function. The Minor Outlying Islands have no permanent residents. The newest county in the United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado, established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county, previously part of four counties. The executive is the formal head and spokesperson of the county, prepares the budget, hires and fires department heads, administers the policies enacted By the council and often has veto power over legislation. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. [49], In the 50 states (plus District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have a population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. [5] Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes:[4][2][5][30][31], The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010),[4][5] while the USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. English (after 1707 British) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in the British metropole: the counties. Several other counties, including Kitsap (1971), Island (1976 and 1995), Thurston (1978), Cowlitz (1998), Ferry (1993), Skamania (1994), Spokane (1995), Yakima (2011), Asotin (2012 and 2013), Jefferson (2013), Lewis (2018), and Skagit (2018) counties, have tried and failed to adopt charters. Alaska and Louisiana call their equivalent political units boroughs and parishes respectively. Article 11, section 5 of the Washington Constitution makes the commission form the standard form of county government throughout the state for counties, unless the county adopts a home rule charter as discussed below. Shires were governmental units created in the ninth century By the kingdom of England to serve as local administrative arms of the crown. Construction and operation of housing and redevelopment projects, and other activities to promote or aid housing and community development. Many more mergers have been proposed than have been approved By the voters. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. In 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau will start to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments, which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. The duties of the board of county commissioners and other elected officers may also be modified by charter. There is no chief executive officer on the commission. [40] Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state.[41]. Political divisions of the United States First level State ( Commonwealth) Federal district Territory ( Commonwealth) Indian reservation ( list) / Hawaiian home land / Alaska Native tribal entity / Pueblo / Off-reservation trust land / Tribal Jurisdictional Area Second level County / Parish / Borough Although there is no constitutional or statutory requirement for county commissioners to delegate any of their executive authority to a separately appointed county administrator, many of them have, to a limited degree, chosen to do so. In addition to providing for an alternative form of county government, a city-county charter may also merge the county with cities and other municipal corporations within its boundaries. Less than three percent of U.S. counties have actually created and approved their own charters. The counties profiled were not . Charter counties generally choose between two types of forms of government. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). While the county commissioners establish the budget and act as the county legislative body, they share administrative functions with several other independently elected county officials, including a clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor, coroner, and auditor (or recorder). These levels carry out state laws, collect taxes, and supervise elections. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of the county jail.) Also includes financing, construction, and operation of nursing homes. Operation and maintenance of water supply systems including acquisition and distribution of water to the general public or to other local governments for domestic or industrial use. This system has separate elected legislative and executive branches of government. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18).
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