The role the County plays in each state

[roadman65]

County governments are pretty much a subdivision of the state.  However, in some states there are no county governments such as CT and RI and even some counties in MA are abolished.  In VA you have either a county or a city being the division of the state's land area which is why Arlington has no incorporated communities within its borders.

In VT, you have no county seats but you have Shires instead,  In LA you have Parishes instead of counties but function the same way as counties, but in Alaska you have boroughs that function as counties, but limited powers.   In NY, you have counties which are really a group of towns and cities (except NYC) together where the individual towns assume most of the powers that many states give powers to such as Florida. 

In Hawaii, although they have 5 counties their delegation is different as education is not a power granted to them by the state government as they have control over all schooling within the State.

Bottom line it is very interesting to learn that counties differ in roles from state to state and that some states have no county governments at all while some states have county governments over certain areas while there are some that are counties in name only and even, lets say, Kings County in NY within a state with county governments, has no entity in politics at a county level but has the municipality acting as the roles of the other remaining counties with the Empire State.  I imagine that only a few states share the same as far as county roles go to exact T.  In fact very few states see the definition of a county as the same.

[JJBers]

As mentioned before, there's been no county government in Connecticut since 1960, and even then it was super limited from the mid-1800's to then.
Even then I still found the former Windham County courthouse. I have no clue what the building is used now, but it's not a courthouse, since there's one on CT 66 on the other side of Willimantic:

[Brandon]

In Illinois, there are 102 of them, and they take care of the unincorporated areas, county highways (even within municipalities), and some functions even within municipalities.  These functions can vary by county.  A rural county such as LaSalle will have a health department (responsible for restaurant inspections), a highway department, a land use department (for unincorporated areas), a court system, a sheriff's department (policing in unincorporated areas and to serve notices), a recorder, and a tax assessor.  Cook, on the other hand, even has a hospital and issues permits for asbestos abatement within the county, outside of Chicago.  101 of the counties have county boards with county board presidents (including Cook).  Will has a county executive and a county board.  the county seat is where the courthouse and most county functions are headquartered.  The courts are handled at the county level (except for some traffic courts).

Functions such as education are handled at the school district level.  There are no county-run schools, nor municipal-run schools (even the Chicago Public Schools is its own district independent of the City of Chicago).  Townships also have functions.  Usually they maintain streets and roads outside of the municipalities (not including county highways), and have services for seniors, some have tax assessors (usually delegated by the county assessor).  They do not do police or fire functions.  There's a separate fire protection district for that (some municipalities have their own fire department).

Government entities in Illinois can vary from library districts to forest preserve districts (usually co-terminus with their county), mosquito abatement districts, sewerage districts (the MWRDGC is the largest), fire protection districts, school districts (K-8, 9-12, and K-12), and community college districts (I'm sure I haven't gotten them all).  Some of these cross county lines, some don't.  Some are subject to the county, most aren't.  Then municipalities commonly cross county lines.  Aurora is a major example, being in Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will Counties.

County boundaries are used for defining areas in Illinois.  IDOT districts are by county lines (IDOT District 1 is Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Cook, and Will).  Illinois State Police Districts commonly follow county lines (except for ISP D2 and District Chicago).  Only the following counties may have red light cameras: McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook, Will, Madison, and St. Clair.  They also are the only counties requiring emissions inspections (every 2 years on a vehicle 5 years or older).

[roadman]

In Massachusetts, most county government was abolished by 2000.  However, counties still exist for the purposes of law enforcement (sheriffs and courts) and for registry of certain records (births, deaths, deeds).

[SP Cook]

West Virginia:

WV counties are the basic unit of government.  The county is governed by a three person County Commission (formerly and still informally called the County Court).  However this is not a very powerful office as WV has no county roads (roads signed as "county" in WV are still under the DOH) and the Commission is required to fund the various county offices and after that there is little left to discression.  It gets about 30% of the property tax.  The real power in the County Commission is if the voters fund extra services, like water, sewer, airport, industrial parks, "free" clinics, adult education, etc. which the money (and the make-work jobs) flows through the Commission.  Some counties have zoning, but this is rare, WVians generally don't care for zoning.

The county offices are County Clerk (deeds and wills and like that), Circuit Clerk (court records), Sheriff (also collects taxes, and is the basic police force outside of incorporated towns), Assessor (in modern times a rubber stamp office as the state does all that work today), Prosecuting Attorney (who is also the county's civil attorney), and Surveyor (an unpaid office). 

The county is also the school district.  55 counties-55 school districts.  There is a 5 person school board, elected.  It gets the other 70% of the property tax, plus millions in state tax money in return for meeting state standards (at any one time 5 to 10 counties are under state control due to poor test scores).    There are a couple of multi-county schools, but this is handled by one county paying the other its pro-rata share. 

Every county has a non-lawyer Magistrate Court (small claims and misdemeanors), and then there is the Family Court (divorce) and Circuit Court (everything else) which will be one county or several smaller counties sharing, but when they share the judge has to travel to each county, cannot conduct one county's business in another.

As roads have gotten better and the population has declined, there have been calls for county consolidations, but these will never get anywhere.  There have also been attempts to have merged city-county systems, and it is legal, but has never happened.  Unlike VA, cities are still a part of the county they are located in, it is just an extra layer of government.

[JJBers]

As mentioned before, there's been no county government in Connecticut since 1960, and even then it was super limited from the mid-1800's to then.
Even then I still found the former Windham County courthouse. I have no clue what the building is used now, but it's not a courthouse, since there's one on CT 66 on the other side of Willimantic:

To imagine what it's like to live in a county governmentless state, think about what's it like in a independent city in Virginia/other states, and and make it every town/city.

[Brandon]

To imagine what it's like to live in a county governmentless state, think about what's it like in a independent city in Virginia/other states, and and make it every town/city.

Virtually impossible in a state like Illinois where there is a lot of unincorporated land that belongs to no municipality.  However, that unincorporated land is annexable to a municipality if the landowner agrees to annexation.  This can lead to some rather interestingly-shaped municipalities (cities, villages, and towns (of which there are only 19)).

Examples:
Village of Bolingbrook, population 73,000.
City of Joliet, population 148,000.
Town of Courtland, population 4,200.

Note the bizarre shapes of them when compared to, say, a New England municipality.

For starters, Illinois annexation law: http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=006500050HArt%2E+7+Div%2E+1&ActID=802&ChapterID=14&SeqStart=64600000&SeqEnd=70000000

[bandit957]

Counties are pretty important in Kentucky.

[JJBers]

To imagine what it's like to live in a county governmentless state, think about what's it like in a independent city in Virginia/other states, and and make it every town/city.

Virtually impossible in a state like Illinois where there is a lot of unincorporated land that belongs to no municipality.  However, that unincorporated land is annexable to a municipality if the landowner agrees to annexation.  This can lead to some rather interestingly-shaped municipalities (cities, villages, and towns (of which there are only 19)).

Examples:
Village of Bolingbrook, population 73,000.
City of Joliet, population 148,000.
Town of Courtland, population 4,200.

Note the bizarre shapes of them when compared to, say, a New England municipality.

For starters, Illinois annexation law: http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=006500050HArt%2E+7+Div%2E+1&ActID=802&ChapterID=14&SeqStart=64600000&SeqEnd=70000000

So, if you have enough money and time, you can become your own town. Cool.

[wxfree]

In Texas, the constitution defines counties as political subdivisions of the state.  It once had a section for home-rule counties, but it was repealed.  Consistent with the small-government views here, counties have very limited function.  Counties provide roads outside of cities and off the state highway system, law enforcement, and such basic things.  They have little authority to pass ordinances, which state law calls orders, or regulate land development, which is gradually leading to a huge mess in some areas.  Cities, though, can regulate land development within their extra-territorial jurisdiction, which is as much as 5 miles from the city limit.

In addition to JP courts, each county has a constitutional county court.  In larger counties where one court isn't adequate, the legislature establishes statutory county courts.  These handle minor civil cases and misdemeanors.  More major cases are handled by district courts.  Judicial districts cover one or more counties, and are districts of the state itself.  District courts essentially act as functions of the county, and sessions are held in the county courts buildings, but they're technically state courts, not a part of the county.  Because of this, each county has a county clerk and a district clerk.

The basic layers of government, cities, counties, and school districts are all political subdivisions, arms of state government carrying out a particular set of functions over a particular area.  There is one exception, the Stafford Municipal School District, which is run by the city of Stafford.  These subdivisions overlap and their boundaries are unrelated.  City boundaries cross county lines and school district boundaries cross city and county boundaries with no difficulty or practical effect.  Some people have a hard time understanding that, especially because school districts and schools are usually named after a city, and students may attend school in that district even though they're from another city, sometimes a city that has another school district named after it.  (There may be a city A and city B, each with a district named after it, A ISD and B ISD, and a student in city B may attend school in A ISD.)

I mention school districts because they're a good example of how different governments are unrelated in Texas.  If a city annexes land, this has the effect of cancelling the county orders and replacing them with city ordinances in the annexed area, as well as causing the county roads in that area to transfer to the city.  County orders apply mostly (maybe only) to unincorporated areas.  Only the most basic county functions have effect in cities: courts, law enforcement, tax collection, elections, and such.  The counties don't have much power besides those things, but those, such as roads and orders, don't function inside cities.  I'd say that in Texas the basic level of government is the city, if you live in one.  If not, I'd say it's the state.  You deal with the state through the county, but the county is a very thin layer of government; other than very specific things, such as speed limits on county roads, it's mainly there just to enforce state laws.  Unlike cities, the rules really don't change if you move between unincorporated areas in different counties (excluding the effect of cities' extra-territorial jurisdiction).

[Brandon]

To imagine what it's like to live in a county governmentless state, think about what's it like in a independent city in Virginia/other states, and and make it every town/city.

Virtually impossible in a state like Illinois where there is a lot of unincorporated land that belongs to no municipality.  However, that unincorporated land is annexable to a municipality if the landowner agrees to annexation.  This can lead to some rather interestingly-shaped municipalities (cities, villages, and towns (of which there are only 19)).

Examples:
Village of Bolingbrook, population 73,000.
City of Joliet, population 148,000.
Town of Courtland, population 4,200.

Note the bizarre shapes of them when compared to, say, a New England municipality.

For starters, Illinois annexation law: http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=006500050HArt%2E+7+Div%2E+1&ActID=802&ChapterID=14&SeqStart=64600000&SeqEnd=70000000

So, if you have enough money and time, you can become your own town. Cool.

Village, actually.  Towns are no longer a viable incorporation option (last one was incorporated in the 1870s), and you need a minimum of 2,500 population to incorporate as a city.

[froggie]

In VA you have either a county or a city being the division of the state's land area which is why Arlington has no incorporated communities within its borders.

No, that is not why.  For starters, Arlington is a county, not a city, so it could have incorporated communities if it wanted to.  But being a small county, its residents haven't seen any advantage in forming incorporated villages.

In VT, you have no county seats but you have Shires instead,

Shire Towns, to be more precise...

[Rothman]

NY counties have legislatures and executives.

[dvferyance]

In Virginia more and more cities are withdrawing their independent status. Bedford did recently and other cities did after them. Cities like Denver and St Louis are also a county among themselves. In Wisconsin county government is big. The larger counties have their own county executives which has similar kind of power to states Governors.

[Brandon]

The basic layers of government, cities, counties, and school districts are all political subdivisions, arms of state government carrying out a particular set of functions over a particular area.  There is one exception, the Stafford Municipal School District, which is run by the city of Stafford.  These subdivisions overlap and their boundaries are unrelated.  City boundaries cross county lines and school district boundaries cross city and county boundaries with no difficulty or practical effect.  Some people have a hard time understanding that, especially because school districts and schools are usually named after a city, and students may attend school in that district even though they're from another city, sometimes a city that has another school district named after it.  (There may be a city A and city B, each with a district named after it, A ISD and B ISD, and a student in city B may attend school in A ISD.)

That happens very often in Illinois as well.  As an example, you have the far west side of Joliet in the Plainfield Community School District #202, and one of their high schools (Plainfield South High School) is in Joliet and in Kendall County.  Have I confused anyone yet?  Did I mention this area has a Plainfield ZIP Code (60586), yet is entirely within the City of Joliet (leading to Plainfield addresses according to the USPS)?

[Mapmikey]

No, that is not why.  For starters, Arlington is a county, not a city, so it could have incorporated communities if it wanted to.  But being a small county, its residents haven't seen any advantage in forming incorporated villages.

Arlington County had an incorporated town until 1930 (Potomac) when it was annexed into the City of Alexandria.

Surprisingly, it is not possible for Arlington County to have another because of state law regarding population density in the county that a town wants to form.  The limit is 200 people per sq mile.  See http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter36/section15.2-3602/

It does not appear there is wiggle room in that to say if a part of a county didn't exceed this threshold then maybe a town could incorporate.  That means other counties cannot form new incorporated towns anymore either (someplace I saw where anything in place as of 1971 could stay incorporated).

At 26 sq miles, Arlington County's population would apparently have to be below 5200 people in order to incorporate a town.

As of 2010 the following counties have more than 200 people per sq mile:
Arlington
Chesterfield
Fairfax
Hanover
Henrico
James City
Loudoun
Montgomery
Prince William
Roanoke
Spotsylvania
Stafford
York

[jeffandnicole]

Counties aren't totally important in NJ - most things are done on a municipal level - but there are county taxes, county courts, county roads, etc.  Schools are their own districts.  School districts could be regional (involving a few towns) or solely within a town, but as a town could have more than one school district, we win up with more school districts than towns in the state. 

If the state wants to do something within a town, they are usually talking to the town for approval, not the county.

[inkyatari]

That happens very often in Illinois as well.  As an example, you have the far west side of Joliet in the Plainfield Community School District #202, and one of their high schools (Plainfield South High School) is in Joliet and in Kendall County.  Have I confused anyone yet?  Did I mention this area has a Plainfield ZIP Code (60586), yet is entirely within the City of Joliet (leading to Plainfield addresses according to the USPS)?

I grew up in an unincorporated area (Sunnyland, or seen on maps as Coynes,) but we had a Joliet mailing address, and went to plainfield schools.

[inkyatari]

BTW, I thought I read somewhere that Illinois has more governmental units than any other state.  Is that true?

[cjk374]

Louisiana & its parishes:

Louisiana has 64 parishes. Orleans Parish is essentially New Orleans & all of its suburbs (Kenner, Gretna, Algiers, etc.). Each parish operates a school board to operate & maintain schools. The cities of Monroe & Bogalusa operate their own school districts independent of the parishes they are in.

Some of the southern parishes have parish presidents and a governing board of some kind. Most other parishes have a "police jury" as the governing board. They all maintain parish road sysrems, collect taxes, do the elections, operate courts (as district courts...more than 1 parish in a district), and some state code enforcement (thanks alot for that crap Katrina!).

Anyone from Louisiana please fill in the gaps...especially the part about parish presidents. I know nothing about how that system operates.

[Brandon]

BTW, I thought I read somewhere that Illinois has more governmental units than any other state.  Is that true?

Yes.  It even dwarfs Texas and California (both of which are bigger in population and area).

[Brandon]

Louisiana & its parishes:

Louisiana has 64 parishes. Orleans Parish is essentially New Orleans & all of its suburbs (Kenner, Gretna, Algiers, etc.). Each parish operates a school board to operate & maintain schools. The cities of Monroe & Bogalusa operate their own school districts independent of the parishes they are in.

Some of the southern parishes have parish presidents and a governing board of some kind. Most other parishes have a "police jury" as the governing board. They all maintain parish road sysrems, collect taxes, do the elections, operate courts (as district courts...more than 1 parish in a district), and some state code enforcement (thanks alot for that crap Katrina!).

Anyone from Louisiana please fill in the gaps...especially the part about parish presidents. I know nothing about how that system operates.

I thought Kenner and Gretna were Jefferson Parish.  Algiers is a part of N.O.

[cjk374]

Louisiana & its parishes:

Louisiana has 64 parishes. Orleans Parish is essentially New Orleans & all of its suburbs (Kenner, Gretna, Algiers, etc.). Each parish operates a school board to operate & maintain schools. The cities of Monroe & Bogalusa operate their own school districts independent of the parishes they are in.

Some of the southern parishes have parish presidents and a governing board of some kind. Most other parishes have a "police jury" as the governing board. They all maintain parish road sysrems, collect taxes, do the elections, operate courts (as district courts...more than 1 parish in a district), and some state code enforcement (thanks alot for that crap Katrina!).

Anyone from Louisiana please fill in the gaps...especially the part about parish presidents. I know nothing about how that system operates.

I thought Kenner and Gretna were Jefferson Parish.  Algiers is a part of N.O.

Ooops...geographical error on my part. It's been a long hot day. Lol!

[vdeane]

In NY, you have counties which are really a group of towns and cities (except NYC) together where the individual towns assume most of the powers that many states give powers to such as Florida.

I would not say that.  Outside NYC, the counties are the subdivisions of the state.  Towns/cities are the subdivisions of the county (villages exist within towns but there are some that cross town/county boundaries, such as Saranac Lake; school districts are entirely separate from everything else, as are fire districts, refuse districts, etc. - we love our special districts here).  Our counties are their own government, complete with a legislature, executive, sheriff, courts, highway department, department of health, etc.  Things do change when you cross county boundaries - the most prominent example presently being whether fireworks are legal or not.  In NYC, the counties are essentially the same as the boroughs in all but name.

[roadman65]

Not in NYC, as Kings County and Richmond County are governed by the same body just like New York, Queens, and Bronx counties.  Yes certain things change like tax rates on sales, and even self serve gas as at one time NYC and one upstate county near the Canadian Border disallowed self service and was like NJ with attendants pumping your fuel.

In NYC the difference between boroughs are that each has its own district attorney.  The borough president of each is really an assistant to the Mayor of NYC and a borough is a subdivision of the municipality being the City of New York.