The Structure and Function of the County Governments in the US - Essay Example

The Structure and Function of the County governments in the US Local government in the US assume many forms. The most common include counties, townships, municipalities, and special districts. These smaller units of local government serve most people in different capacities including education, water, sewage, sanitation, fire, and police protection. The local governments are independent of the state that established them. The state has powers over them and can abolish them if the need arises (Paul 25).

In the US, the county is normally considered the largest political subdivision of a state. The county government is found almost in all states except Connecticut and Rhode Island. The names given to these government forms might vary depending on the state. However, the number, size, and population also vary from state to state (Steytler 386). States do provide county governments with various organizational structures. The county board has the power to govern most counties in a given state, although the name of this board varies from one state to another.

Some of the commonly used names include the county board of supervisors, the board of county commissioners, and the board of free commissioners. These members are popularly elected officials and the state law strictly limits their legislative powers. However, their main responsibilities include deciding on the county budget, taxes, as well as zoning codes (Bowman and Kearney 107).In most counties, the county board supervisor has both executive and legislative authority.