[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6460]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE BARTON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2001

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of National County 
Government Week, I rise today to speak on the importance of county 
government and to highlight the numerous contributions county 
governments make in the everyday lives of citizens. Today, counties 
fill an especially challenging role as they continue to meet the 
complex demands of modern society.
  In Texas, we have 254 counties that serve the needs of more than 18 
million Texans. The responsiveness of county government to the needs of 
the community is a long-standing tradition in Texas. Texas law 
mandates, with certain exceptions, that all county courthouses be 
centrally located so that each citizen can travel to the seat, vote, 
and return home in a day. Most county seats fall within five miles of 
the county's center.
  The structure of Texas county government has its roots in the 
``municipality,'' the local unit of government under Spanish and 
Mexican rule. These large areas, embracing one or more settlements and 
rural territories, are the foundation of the governmental organization 
of our present day counties. The Texas Constitution declared counties 
as the functional agents of the state, or as an ``arm of the state.'' 
Unlike cities, the areas of responsibility authorized to counties are 
specifically spelled out in laws passed by the Legislature.
  Texas counties range in size from less than 100 residents to more 
than three million. Major responsibilities include county development 
planning; building and maintaining roads and recreational facilities; 
and in some cases, county airports; constructing and operating jails; 
operating the judicial system; maintaining public records; collecting 
property taxes; issung vehicle registration and transfers; and 
registering voters. Counties also provide law enforcement, conduct 
elections and provide in-valuable health and social services to 
indigent members of the community. In this way, the county structures, 
more than any other form of government, plays a central role in the 
everyday functions of communities.
  At the heart of each county is the commissioners court. These members 
of the court collectively conduct the general business of the county 
and oversee financial matters. Each Texas county has four precinct 
commissioners and a county judge who serve on this court. Functions of 
the county, run by individuals employed by the commissioners court, 
include such departments as public health and human services, personnel 
and budget, and in some counties, public transportation and emergency 
medical services. Elected officials, found in most counties, include 
county attorneys, county and district clerks, county treasurers, 
sheriffs, tax assessor-collectors, justices of the peace, and 
constables.
  In the last twenty years, a growing number of federal and state 
responsibilities have been delegated or mandated to the local level, 
confirming the importance and necessity of local county governments in 
Texas. Each day, counties deliver a long list of services and work to 
respond to the ever-changing needs of our dynamic state.
  Counties across America provide solutions at the local level that 
help bring communities together. I believe this traditional form of 
local county government, which fulfills a multitude of services to 
communities, is truly indispensable to its citizens.

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