1. County Government
Ch. 14 – Sec. 1 Academic Civics

2. What is a county?
County – A geographic area and government smaller than a state level
Pennsylvania is made up of 67 counties

3. Who is in charge of counties?
In Blair County, we have three county commissioners
County commissioners act as both:
Executive branch (through police and inspectors)
Legislative branch (by making ordinances)
They pass ordinances, or laws for the county
Enforced by police and other agencies

4. Other responsibilities of County Commissioners
Funding revenue by taxation
Excise (sales) tax – 1 penny on every dollar in Pittsburgh
Property tax – paid for owning land, real estate, stores, etc.
This is the major source of $$$ for AASD
Passing ordinances to provide services and maintain safety

5. Who else runs the show in Blair Co.?
With a partner, come up with a list of what the following individuals do in Blair County (pages )
County Sheriff
District Attorney
County Coroner
County Clerk
County Assessor
County Treasurer

6. What services are provided in Blair Co?
Prison & juvenile probation
Voter registration
Housing & building codes
Sewage & waste
Law enforcement
Courthouse (Hollidaysburg)
Parks and recreation 
Drug & alcohol services
Birth certificates
Permits (buildings, boats, retail, etc.)

7. Why do Counties require more $$$ than they used to?