All functions of county government, and the public's expectations that county government works, depend greatly on the actions and authority of the board of County Commissioners.

Of Ohio's 88 counties, 87 are governed by elected Boards of Commissioners. Each Board consists of three Commissioners who are elected to four-year terms.

Every county elected official - the sheriff, judges, prosecuting attorney, treasurer, auditor, clerk of courts, engineer, coroner, and recorder - rely on the County Commissioners for funding. County Commissioners must understand the responsibilities of each of these other county office holders. This allows them to allocate federal and state funds, and local tax revenue to these other offices using budget oversight.

Ohio's Boards of County Commissioners were created by the state legislature and may only perform functions authorized by state law.

County Commissioners today are key players in bringing new businesses and industries to their communities, and keeping established employers from leaving. This means creating environments favorable for business growth and development -- using tax incentives and infrastructure planning tools more aggressively than ever before. Welfare reform, with the responsibility it gives counties to move unemployed Ohioans into jobs, has also put County Commissioners out front in local employment training and workforce development efforts.

County Commissioners now have the lead responsibility for delivering the bulk of human services that adults and children receive from government and doing so with limited funding from Columbus and Washington, D.C.

Counties must now meet state-set benchmarks for moving unemployed residents into jobs. Welfare reform also means subsidizing child care and health care for recipients, even after they find jobs. All of this comes in addition to counties' ongoing responsibility for overseeing and funding alcohol, drug abuse and mental health services, enforcing children support orders, protecting abused and neglected children, and administering food stamps.

Environmental protection measures that affect the every day lives of most Ohioans fall under the responsibility of County Commissioners. Ensuring safe drinking water and administering sewage treatment plants are responsibilities of even the smallest of counties. In 1988, counties were given lead responsibilities in achieving state solid waste (trash) management goals. Counties also are heavily involved in such diverse efforts as industrial site cleanup and consumer recycling.