What You Do
There are approximately 37,984 elected county executives/commissioners and board members serving 3,069 county governments in the US. In general, County Commissioners (also known as County Councilmembers) are responsible for administering the county government in some states in the U.S. Texas has the most counties with 254, Hawaii and Delaware each have three. Connecticut and Rhode Island are themselves both a county and state.
“The only qualification you need to run for office is that you love your community.”
Bethany Hallam
Allegheny County (PA) Councilmember, At-Large
Responsibilities
County Commissioners oversee the management and administration of an entire county representing the county’s interests at the state and federal government. They manage large county budgets and staff. Many of the country's counties are larger in land mass and population than congressional districts, making the administrative duties vast and complicated. Everything from bridges to welfare and zoos may be involved and often the commissioner oversees large numbers of specialists along with staff.
Helpful Skills
County commissioners must be devoted to and rooted in their community. Knowledge about the struggles and challenges confronting the constituency is helpful. Experience managing budgets and people is helpful. Solid communication skills and the ability to speak in public is essential. People of all backgrounds are serving as county commissioners: teachers, retired law enforcement, farmers, business leaders, and community activists.