A county executive often chairs council meetings.
The county executive is the chief elected or appointed official for a regional government in the United States. This official works with a county council to create policies that allow the regional government to act. An executive can use veto power over resolutions passed by the county council to thwart ineffective or costly proposals. County executives oversee the day-to-day operations of the county, including human resources, waste management, and land use policies. An important duty of a county executive is to work with local residents to resolve matters within the authority of the county government.
County executives can coordinate garbage collection.
County executives work with individually elected county council members as well as the entire council to help their constituents. An executive meets regularly with the subcommittee chairs to develop agendas and discuss potential issues. The county executive usually chairs council meetings along with the senior member. Additional board duties may include scheduling special hearings and arbitrating disputes between board members. This legislative function may include a voting function, if county law does not give the executive veto power.
The relationship between an executive and board members can be contentious if the executive has veto power. County executives with veto power can override council-approved measures. County law generally allows the council to override the executive’s veto with a large majority vote of the council.
Most of the responsibilities of a county executive have to do with the efficient day-to-day running of county offices. The executive oversees human resources and payroll specialists to hire new employees while managing salary and benefit costs. County executives work with mayors and other local authorities to coordinate garbage collection and recycling. The executive’s office may also coordinate with regional authorities to address environmental issues. Land use policies, including creating permit applications and maintaining public lands, often originate with the county executive.
County residents often look to the executive’s office for leadership on regional issues. This responsibility drives county executives to interact with constituents by letter and in person. Assistants and interns in the executive’s office handle residents’ correspondence with guidance from the executive. Another form of constituent outreach is a series of office hours each month where the county executive sits down with residents to discuss county business. Executives often schedule forums throughout the county when important resolutions are pending in the county council.