| What is
County Government? |
| Counties are local political jurisdictions
where local governing bodies deliver hundreds of public
services to all citizens. In California, there are 58
counties, the largest being San Bernardino County with over
21,000 square miles of territory. |
| |
| What
Services Does the County Provide? |
Services within San Bernardino County fall
into two basic categories: Administrative and Municipal.
First, the County acts as an “administrator” or agent of the
State. Since Sacramento is often so far away from the
people, it is necessary to have some local agency administer
the state mandated programs. These include such services as
the court system, jailing of prisoners, elections, recording
of births, marriages and deaths, and public health
activities such as communicable disease prevention and
sanitation.
Second, the County delivers the municipal or “city-type”
services to residents who live outside incorporated cities.
The Sheriff, for example, provides police protection to
those who live in rural communities that have not
incorporated into a city. Other city-type services include
local planning and land use administration, local park
programs, fire protection, water and sewer services (through
special districts), animal control activities, and many
more. |
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|
How Do Cities and
Counties Differ? |
An incorporated city is a political
jurisdiction within the boundaries of a county. A city is
governed by a mayor and city council, whereas counties are
governed by a board of supervisors.
Cities and counties are alike in the fact that they both
deliver municipal services, such as police protection,
street maintenance, and fire protection. However, city
services extend only to the boundaries of that city. A
county on the other hand, will deliver special services like
air support, crime labs, courts, and bomb squads to city and
county residents. For instance, the sheriff handles police
services for unincorporated areas and provides incarceration
for city and county prisoners. The Public Defender, District
Attorney, Coroner, Social Services and Public Health Office,
Assessor’s Office, and County Museum System are all examples
of county services available to all citizens within city
boundaries and unincorporated areas. |
| |
| Who
Supports County Services? |
| The people support County government through
a combination of local property taxes and allocations of
Federal and State money. Local property taxes provide 10% of
the County’s revenue for the general fund, which pays for
public health and welfare programs, record keeping, law
enforcement, the courts, public defender and district
attorney’s office, plus many more services. The State and
Federal governments partially reimburse the County to
finance State and federally required programs, such as
welfare and health services. |
| |
| Do
Property Taxes Pay for Road Maintenance? |
No, property taxes do not finance County
road programs. The road budget for maintenance and
construction of County roads is financed through a
combination of State vehicle registration fees and gasoline
sales taxes, which are collected by the State and returned
to the County based in an apportioned share. Some Federal
transportation programs also help finance County road
construction projects.
Sometimes a community will organize itself to provide a
specific service, such as fire protection, water, sewer,
paved roads, or park services. The community determines the
extent of that particular service and how much it proposes
to pay for that service. A tax or assessment on the property
is set and the people within the proposed district have an
opportunity to vote on whether they want the service. This
kind of service is provided through a Special District and
can be administered with either a board of directors elected
by the people living within the district or through the
County with an advisory board of commissioners. |
| |
| Who
Runs the County? |
The Board of Supervisors is the governmental
body of the County. San Bernardino County has a five-member
Board of Supervisors. The function of the Board of
Supervisors is unique in that it carries out both executive
responsibilities of government as well as legislative. This
differs from the Federal and State governments, where the
President or Governor plays the executive role, and a
separately elected Congress or Legislature acts as the
Legislative body.
An example of the legislative action of the Board of
Supervisors is when it adopts ordinances, which may govern
an activity of County government such as animal control or
leash laws, building and safety or zoning standards.
An example of the executive actions is when the Board
carries out programs such as establishing the Office of Land
Management, Economic Development or other programs that
deliver public services. |
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| Who
Hires the Supervisors? |
| The people do through a public election.
Each supervisor is elected from the district in which he or
she lives. In San Bernardino County, there are five
districts and each district is divided equally on the basis
of population. |
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| How
Long Do Supervisors Serve? |
| All supervisors serve a four-year term.
Supervisors in odd-numbered districts, such as the First,
Third, and Fifth Districts, are elected in the year that
coincides with the Presidential elections. Elections for the
even-numbered, or Second and Fourth Districts are conducted
in the years when the California gubernatorial elections are
held. |
| |
| Do
Supervisors Work Full Time? |
| A 40-hour workweek is generally accepted as
full time. Most supervisors work from 50 to 60 hours a week. |
| |
| What
Are Some of the Things that Supervisors Do? |
| Supervisors participate in governing the
County. They make laws or ordinances and review and approve
the annual budget. In addition, they work with cities and
other governmental agencies in regional matters of interest,
ranging from protection of air and water quality to
transportation planning. |
| |
| Do
Supervisors Hold Regular Meetings? |
Yes, the Board of Supervisors meets each
Tuesday morning at 10 A.M*. Each week’s agenda is filled
with a variety of items ranging from personnel actions to
public hearings on land use. A typical agenda will have from
75 to 100 matters that need attention.
*Except following a Monday Holiday. |
| |
| Can the
Public Attend and Participate in the Meetings? |
| Yes, all meetings of the Board of
Supervisors are open to the public. In fact, the public is
encouraged to attend Board meetings. Anyone may speak on an
agenda item, introduce a subject of public interest or
testify during a public hearing by submitting a request
through the Clerk of the Board who is present at all
meetings. |
| |
| Does
the Board of Supervisors Hold Meetings Only on Tuesdays? |
| No, the Board may schedule additional
meetings, such as workshops or public hearings as needed. |
| |
| What
Else Do Supervisors Do? |
In addition to weekly Board meetings, each
supervisor represents the County on a number of
intergovernmental organizations, such as the Southern
California Association of Governments, the San Bernardino
Associated Governments, Local Agency Formation Commission or
other Federal or State mandated commissions or committees.
Representing the County at meetings is only a small part of
a supervisor’s job. Each supervisor represents a
constituency of over 283,000 people, who live in cities,
small towns and rural areas. Their interests are varied and
present unique sets of concerns. |
