Primary Duties
The county board is both the legislative and executive
branch of county government. As a legislative body, the
board enacts ordinances and resolutions that can apply
either to the county as a region, including the cities
within it, or specifically to the unincorporated area of
the county. As an executive body, the board administers
the activities of county departments and offices, except
those headed by the other elected county officials.
In their capacity as the governing body, the county board
adopts an annual budget for the county, establishes tax
rates, and authorizes bond issues, subject to voter
approval. In a quasi-judicial role, the board reviews zoning,
planning and land use matters and considers appeals in
granting or denying certain permits and licenses. The
county board is also empowered to establish and control special districts to provide services in unincorporated areas of the
county. In order to effectively supervise the operations of the county, the board elects a chairman from its membership who
serves as the head of the county government. The chairman facilitates the operations of the county board and the other
departments of the county.