Counties of Texas

Overview

Texas is divided into 254 counties, which are a type of local government in the state. Counties are responsible for operating courts and jails, maintaining county roads, administering elections, collecting property taxes, and other duties.

Each county in Texas has a county seat (headquarters), which serves as the location of the county government offices and courthouses.

County governments are funded by sales taxes, property taxes, and fees such as court filing fees, criminal fines and road and bridge fees.

County Officials

The governing body of each county is the Commissioners Court, composed of five members:

• Four commissioners, each elected from one of the county’s four precincts.
• One county judge, elected at-large by all voters in the county, who serves as the head of the county government.

The county judge has a mix of executive, legislative, and judicial functions, although the position is mostly executive in practice. In addition to the Commissioners Court, voters elect several other key county officials, including:

• County sheriff – responsible for law enforcement and managing county jails.
• County tax assessor-collector – responsible for assessing property taxes and collecting revenue.
• County and district court judges – oversee legal cases in county and district courts.
• County clerk – responsible for maintaining public records, including marriage licenses, property deeds, and court records. The county clerk also oversees the administration of elections within the county.
• County attorney – serves as the chief legal advisor to the county government, handling legal matters and representing the county in court. In some counties, the county attorney also prosecutes criminal cases.

County Responsibilities

Road Maintenance: Counties in Texas are responsible for maintaining county roads and bridges, which connect smaller towns, rural areas, and unincorporated parts of the county. However, counties do not maintain state highways, interstate highways, or roads within cities.

Law Enforcement and Public Safety: Counties in Texas maintain sheriff’s departments and constables offices, and run county jails.

Judicial Services: Texas counties operate county courts, district courts, and justice of the peace courts. They run the jury service system, public defenders’ offices, court records offices, and other functions of these courts.

Property Tax Assessment and Collection: Counties manage the collection of property taxes on behalf of all local governments that levy a property tax.

Elections: Counties are responsible for the administration of local elections in Texas. This includes setting up polling locations, managing voter registration, and counting ballots.

Other duties include enforcing animal control laws and managing shelters, maintaining public records like property deeds and marriage licenses, and managing county parks.

Sources of County Funding

Texas county governments have several main sources of funding to support their operations. One of the largest sources is property taxes. Property owners in the county are required to pay taxes based on the value of their land and buildings. These taxes help fund local services like law enforcement, road maintenance, and public health.

Another important source of funding is state and federal grants. Texas counties receive money from both the state government and the federal government to help cover specific programs or projects. For example, counties might get grants to improve their infrastructure, support public safety, or provide services to low-income families. These grants are often tied to specific requirements or goals.

Lastly, county governments also generate revenue through fees and fines. For instance, they may charge fees for services like issuing marriage licenses, court filings, or vehicle registrations. Counties may also collect fines for traffic violations. While these sources of income aren’t as large as property taxes or grants, they still help counties cover their costs.

Overlap with Other Local Governments

Counties in Texas overlap with other forms of local government such as cities, school districts, and special districts(e.g., utility districts). While counties provide certain services, local governments like cities or school districts are responsible for others, such as public schools (which are separate from county jurisdiction in Texas).

Texas counties do not operate schools, unlike county governments in some other states. Instead, public schools in Texas are organized into independent school districts.

Relation to the State Government

While Texas counties have local authority, they are ultimately subject to the state’s sovereignty. Texas, as a state within the United States, is a sovereign state, meaning it has the power to govern itself independently of the federal government, as long as it doesn’t conflict with federal law. Counties, by contrast, are subdivisions of the state and derive their authority from state law and the state constitution.

• State standards: The Texas Legislature and state agencies set a variety of standards affecting county operations, requiring counties to follow state mandates on issues like elections, finances, taxation, criminal justice, and public health.

• Preemption: The state can pass laws that override local ordinances when they conflict with state or federal law.

In summary, the state provides oversight and has the power to preempt local laws, ensuring that county governance aligns with state policies.

Map of Texas Counties

List of Counties of Texas