2. WWW.MICOUNTYMATTERS.ORG

3. OUR ROLES

4. OUR OVERSIGHT Under the 1963 Michigan Constitution, county governments in Michigan continue their traditional role of being “agents” of state government to ensure delivery of services (examples: courts, running elections) and oversight of public functions. Counties, however, also are local governments that deliver services specific to their jurisdictions based on the preference of local voters (examples: parks, airports).

5. OUR OVERSIGHT The Board “The board of county commissioners is the governing body and the major policy approval center for county government.”* A board’s size is determined by a county’s population, with a minimum of five members. These officials are elected from single-member districts. *Guide to Michigan County Government, Fourth Edition

6. OUR OVERSIGHT Other Elected Officials The Michigan Constitution provides for the direct election of several departmental heads: sheriff, prosecutor, clerk, register of deeds, drain commissioner and treasurer. These officials lead their offices, but their budgets are set by the county board. Most counties appoint an administrator to run day-to- day operations, but a handful of “home rule” counties choose to elect an executive.

7. OUR SECURITY From sheriff deputies patrolling the rural roads and byways to local courts handling the most heinous criminal cases, or most routine civil ones, county governments ensure residents can be secure in their homes and communities, and properly seek redress under the law when conflicts arise. About $1 in every $3 a county spends is on OUR SECURITY. In 2015, this meant more than $1.6 billion in investments.

8. OUR SECURITY Michiganians may not realize county government is responsible (in coordination with the State Court Administrative Office) for the operations of all local courts (Circuit, District, Probate). Such “judicial” expenditures are, in fact, equal to what counties spend on sheriff departments. The local courts are the first review of more than 300,000 cases (ranging from murder to business lawsuits to family custody arrangements) each year.

9. OUR FAMILIES A primary duty for counties is to ensure our children are being reared in homes that are safe and free of abuse. Through the foster care system, social service agents in local offices work with county-based courts to investigate cases, remove children from threats (as necessary) and work with adults to bring about family unification whenever it is in the best interests of the child.

10. OUR FAMILIES This commitment to family life extends to all ages, as county governments also operate extensive services for older residents. These services reached almost $100 million in 2015. County governments also provide for numerous amenities for families to enjoy such as parks, recreational facilities, cultural sites and library systems. Many of these amenities are the product of decisions by local voters to tax themselves for their enjoyment.

11. OUR HEALTH No single area of daily life occupies more of a county’s resources than protecting OUR HEALTH. Counties work to protect the public health via food inspections, immunizations, prevention of disease and environmental hazards and the improvement of mental health. Almost half of Michigan’s counties also care directly for some residents via medical care facilities designed for the elderly.

12. OUR HEALTH Did you know? County health departments administered 443,895 vaccines to 176,685 people across Michigan in 2015.

13. OUR NETWORKS Counties are responsible for ensuring the maintenance and improvement of networks that link our communities physically and electronically. Via county road commissions and road departments, counties are responsible for more than 90,000 miles and nearly 6,000 bridges. This represents about 75 percent of the state’s entire road network.

14. OUR NETWORKS In cases of emergency, residents can know that their 9-1-1 emergency system is in the capable hands of county coordinators who are highly trained and always seeking the next advance in technology. In 2015, counties put $72 million from their general funds into 9-1-1networks.

15. OUR VAULT County clerks are the facilitators of our memories and history, be they marriage licenses, vital records such as birth certificates, court records, business licensing and permits and the records of government itself (such as the minutes of county boards of commissioners). In 2015, county clerks helped process nearly 300,000 vital records in Michigan (57,071 marriages, 29,708 divorces, 92,736 deaths and 113,639 births).

16. OUR VAULT The county register of deeds, an elected position per the 1963 Michigan Constitution, is primarily concerned with maintaining the integrity of property records – residential, commercial, personal you name it. The register’s office also is a key support for businesses operating in the real estate world to facilitate property transactions. (Note: Some counties have merged the register function with their clerk’s office.)

17. OUR WALLET County government, through the treasurer’s office, keeps a close watch on funds that are collected by the county, and their eventual use. Treasurers also have responsibility for knowing when property taxes have been paid and when they have not. Did you know? Counties spent $6.6 billion in 2015, with $2 out of every $3 spent on either public health or security.

18. OUR WALLET Working in tandem with local units of government, counties ensure the flow of these funds – either to counties or other levels of government or back to taxpayers – is proper and correct. Part of this effort is through the state-mandated equalization department that helps determine how much value, in property, an individual community has. This value, of course, determines the ultimate amount of their tax bill.

19. OUR STATS The site provides: Interactive county map showing spending by issue Property tax revenue data organized by region Decade’s worth of revenue and spending information

20. WWW.MICOUNTYMATTERS.ORG