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SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › Newly Elected County Officials Information
Published 02/10

Newly Elected County Officials Information

Contents

Introduction

Congratulations! You have been elected to one of the offices in county government. This web page is designed to provide information that will help you understand your role in office and perform your duties more effectively. The first part of the page contains a brief overview of county government history and organization. Then, since one of the most difficult and important challenges you will face is connecting with the citizens in your jurisdiction, a section is included on effective communication. This section focuses on informing and involving citizens in governmental functions. There are a number of legal doctrines that apply to you in your role as a county elective official and a few of the more important ones are reviewed under "Legal Issues." The role of legislator or policy-maker will be significant, particularly for county commissioners or councilmembers. A section on the legislative process focuses on roles and responsibilities, effective public participation, and procedures for adopting legislation. Finally, information on additional resources and organizations serving county officials is provided, including selected MRSC publications and MRSC library materials.

County Government Organization

These MRSC pages provide a brief overview of county government history and organization, including an explanation of the statutory commission form of county government and the "home rule" charter form. Also, the page on elected officials contains an explanation of the roles and duties of each county elected official.

Roles and Responsibilities of Elected County Officials

This section focuses on the roles and responsibilities of a county official -- specifically that of the county commissioner.

  • Your Responsibilities as a Commissioner, MRSC, August 2005
  • New Commissioner Handbook, Report No. 43, September 1998. 474KB (Adobe Acrobat Document) - an MRSC publication designed to assist newly elected county commissioners in the state of Washington, addressing many issues that are specific to the commission form of government, though sections of the handbook will also be useful for charter county officials. Also available in HTML format.

Legal Issues

These MRSC pages and documents contain information on some of the central legal doctrines that elected officials should be familiar with, including recent information on topics such as open public meetings and the Public Records Act.

Financial Issues

This section provides detailed information on required contracting and bidding procedures, budget preparation and sale of public property.

Legislative Process/Policy-Making

This section provides an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of local government officials in creating policy and on how to make the policy-making process more productive and efficient.

Leadership/Teamwork

This section focuses on the leadership role played by county elected officials and also their role as a member of an effective team of county officials.

Trust in Government and Citizen Engagement

This section presents ideas and examples of successful communication tools that may be used by local government officials to inform citizens about what local government is doing and to receive feedback on what local government should do.

County Codes of Ethics

MRSC has collected, in our Sample Codes of Ethics page, a list of code chapters on ethical standards of conduct that govern the performance of county officials in the conduct of county business as well as rules on preventing potential conflicts of interest.

Organizations Serving County Officials

These web sites provide more detailed information about some of the other significant organizations that can help you in your role as an elective official in the state of Washington.

MRSC Publications

MRSC produces comprehensive publications about a broad range of local subjects. These publications include educational guidebooks designed to assist local officials in carrying out their duties and practical publications about emerging issues. Most publications may be viewed and downloaded from the MRSC website, and paper copies may be purchased at a discount by government officials. View our entire list of MRSC Publications here.