The Structure of County Government

The Structure of County Government

The Duties of County Offices<= /span>

County board of supervisors

The county board is the executive branch of county government. = The supervisors serve as the policymakers for the county and administer the var= ious county programs. Their powers include reviewing budget requests, appropriating funds, establishing county= tax levies, enacting ordinances, filling employee vacancies, and hearing reports from county officers. The boa= rd is also responsible for overseeing economic development in the county. Boards of supervisors responsibili= ties are defined by Iowa Code chapter 331. The Board consists of either three or five members.

County attorney

The county attorney’s posit= ion is unique in that it is provided for in the state constitution. Other offices are products of legislation. The attorneyR= 17;s primary responsibilities are to provide legal counsel for the board of supervisors and to act as legal representative for the county in court cases. With regard to the lat= ter responsibility, the county attorney represents the county either as a defen= dant or plaintiff in a civil suit. In cases where a crime has been committed in the county, he/she acts as the prosecuting attorney and presents the county’s case at the trial. The county attorney is also respon= sible for fine collections and juvenile justice.

County auditor

The county auditor serves in an office which is very diversified. One of the auditor’s many duties is to serve as secretary to t= he board of supervisors. As such= , the auditor has control over the records of the board. Auditor’s election responsibilities include registering voters, supervising precinct election officials, publishing election notices, and acting as custodian of poll books. Auditors are commissio= ner of elections for school board, city, county, state and federal elections. Real estate transfers and numerous= other records are handled through the county auditor’s office. Lastly, the county auditor does in= deed audit bills or other claims against the county. Warrants in payment are then prepared. The auditor also maintains accounting records on all appropriations for the county’s various departments.

County recorder

The primary function of the county recorder’s office is to record various legal documents.

Detailed records are kept for var= ious legal instruments (deeds, mortgages, condemnations, affidavits, and powers = of attorney). Other records incl= ude: birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, uniform commerci= al code filings, military discharges, trade names, articles of incorporations, deeds of trust for railroad corporations, hunting licenses, and boat and snowmobile licenses.

County sheriff

The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for the county. &= nbsp; Administration of the county jail is only one of the sheriff’s many duties. The sherif= f is also required to make special investigations into alleged law violations wh= en directed by the county attorney. In unincorporated areas of the county the sheriff is responsible for law enforcement. The sheriff also provides law enforcement services for towns that contract with the office.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Finally, the sheriff issues all gun permits and is in charge of the county drug task force.

County treasurer

The treasurer’s office is o= ne of the primary offices where people come to do business. Anyone owning property or a vehicl= e is served by this office. Treasu= rers receive payment for motor vehicle registration and sales/transfers of vehicles. It is the treasurer’s duty to register vehicle titles and distribute license plates. The county treasurer oversees all county funds and handles investme= nt functions. As such he/she is required to make a semiannual settlement with board of supervisors and to report all fees collected. It= is the treasurer’s duty to collect all taxes certified by the county auditor. In addition, the cou= nty treasurer makes monthly reports to the state auditor of all taxes paid to t= he state and for soldiers’ bonuses.&nbs= p; These funds are paid to the state treasurer when they are requested. =

Appointive Offices

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County Assessor=

The county assessor is appointed through a merit examination prepared and given by the State Tax Commission. A list of qualifi= ed persons is drawn up and a special conference board selects the assessor. The county assessor is an officer = of all major taxing jurisdiction in a county.&nbs= p;

Commun= ity Services

The community services department provides short term assistance for individuals and families in need. This includes financial assistance= for rent, food, and shelter. The depart= ment focuses on individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse. Youth shelte= r and detention facilities are offered. Included in this department is central point of coordination, general assistance, case management, and veteran affairs.

The conservation office is overse= en by a board appointed by the county board of supervisors and is responsible = for county parks, wildlife habitat improvement, and wetland preservation. The department also provides environmental education and various activities such as camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking/bike trails, and horseback riding.

Emerge= ncy Management

The emergency management office is responsible for disaster planning on a county-wide basis. This includes emergency evacuation plans, air plane crashes, floods, tornadoes, industrial accidents, terroris= m, and civil unrest.

Engine= ers

The engineer’s office is responsible for general supervision of construction, maintenance (including snow removal), and repair of highways and bridges of the county. An annual report on all the roads = in the county, including their present condition and their needs must be made by t= he engineer to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Enviro= nmental Health

The environmental health office prevents disease by controlling community environmental health threats and providing local education on environmental health issues. The department works to ensure air quality and environmental health through inspections on septic tanks, swimm= ing pools, and restaurants.

Inform= ation Technology

The information technology office develops/maintains computer software applications that facilitate a county’s business operations. The department is responsible for maintaining the county website and planning for future technology needs.

Public Health Nurse

The public health nurse investiga= tes communicable diseases and provides health planning and education for the county. The department offers childhood immunization, international travel clinics, and treatment of sexu= ally transmitted diseases.

Zoning=

The zoning office is responsible = for building code enforcement, utility planning, and zoning enforcement. The department implements the comprehensive land use plan in unincorporated areas of the county.

The Regional Government for Iowa:

County governments are the quiet, consistent providers of essential services. Structurally, the county continues to serve as the regi= onal government for Iowa. It performs many state administrat= ive functions such as the issuance of licenses and permits. Also, it provides public services = of a purely local nature such as the enforcement of zoning ordinances, the provi= sion of health and indigent care, and the maintenance of county jails. These services vary in degrees for different areas. In some inst= ances, only the rural region is served (sheriff’s office), while in others t= he whole county is served (court functions).&= nbsp; Counties also cooperate among themselves in providing other services= to meet their citizens’ needs.

The vast number of public services that counties provide lea= ds to a rather complex and somewhat confusing array of offices, boards, and commissions. Citizens elect a county auditor, recorder, attorney, sheriff, treasurer and a 3-5 member cou= nty board of supervisors. The cou= nty board of supervisors then appoints individuals to serve as directors for the other offices in the courthouse or in some cases a commission that is overs= een by the county board of supervisors appoints a director. A conservation board, for example, directly oversees a conservation director.= While the county board of supervisors is the chief formulator of cou= nty policy, it is clear that the administration of county government programs is guided by a variety of elective and appointive offices, and a number of semi-autonomous boards and commissions.

Common County Services & Coordinating County= Office:<= /span>

<= /o:p>

Beer &am= p; Liquor Licenses - Auditor

Birth Certificates - Recorder

Boat Registration - Treasurer

Bridge Construction\Maintenance - Engineer

Budget Information - Board of Supervisors

Building Permits - Zoning

Camping Information - Conservation

Child Ca= re Resource - Community Services

Claims a= nd Warrants - Auditor

Community Health Programs - Public Healt= h

County W= ebsite - Information Technology

Death Certificates - Recorder

Deeds and Contracts - Recorder

Disaster Planning - Emergency Management

Drivers Licenses - Treasurers

Economic Development - Board of Supervisors

Election Information - Auditor

Food Per= mits - Environmental Health

Forest Reserve= - Conservation

Handgun Purchase Permits - Sheriff

Hunting = and Fishing Access - Conservation

Hunting = and Fishing Licenses - Recorder

Jail Administration - Sheriff

Maps (hi= ghway, drainage districts) - Engineer

Maps (pl= ats) - Recorder

Maps (political boundaries) - Auditor

Marriage License - Recorder

Mental H= ealth Facilities - Community Services
Passports - Recorder

Permits = (tile crossings, underground work) - Engineer Permits (building, conditional use)= - Zoning

Prosecut= or (state laws, local ordinances) - Attorney

Real Est= ate Transfer Information - Recorder

Real Est= ate Mapping - Assessor

Subdivid= ing - Zoning

Tax Cred= it Claim - Treasurer

Tax Levy Information - Auditor

Tax Paym= ents - Treasurer

Vehicle = Titles and Registrations - Treasurer

Veteran’s Assistance - Community Services

Information for = this publication taken from “Evolution of County Government in Iowa”= by State of Iowa Office for Planning and Programming;

“New Directions for County Government” by Iowa Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

For Further Informat= ion Contact:

Iowa State Association of Counties

501 SW 7th St.= , St= e. Q Des Moines, IA 50309= -4540

(515) 244-7181 Fax: (515) 244-6397<= o:p>

Web = Site: www.iowacounties.org