County executives oversee the day-to-day operations of regional governments in the US and work with county councils to create policies. They have veto power over council resolutions and work with local residents to resolve issues. They also oversee human resources, waste management, and land use policies.
The county executive is the principal elected or appointed official of a regional government in the US. This official works with a county council to create policies that allow the regional government to operate. An executive can use veto power over resolutions passed by the county council to prevent ineffective or costly proposals. County executives oversee the county’s day-to-day operations, including human resources, waste management, and land use policies. An important duty of a county executive is to work with local residents to resolve issues within the authority of the county government.
County executives work with individual elected county council members, as well as the entire council, to assist their constituents. An executive meets regularly with subcommittee chairs to develop agendas and discuss potential issues. The county executive usually chairs council meetings jointly with the most senior member. Additional board duties may include scheduling special hearings and arbitrating disputes among board members. This legislative role may include a voting role if county laws do not give the executive a veto.
The relationship between an executive and board members can be contentious if the executive has veto power. County executives with veto power can overturn measures passed by the council. County laws generally allow the board to override the executive’s veto with a vote of a large majority of the board.
Most of the responsibilities of a county executive deal with the efficient operation of county offices on a daily basis. The executive oversees human resources and payroll specialists to hire new employees while managing costs for wages and benefits. County executives work with mayors and other local officials to coordinate garbage collection and recycling. The executive’s office can also coordinate with regional authorities to deal with environmental issues. Land use policies, including creating permit applications and maintaining public land, 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 voters by letter and in person. Aides and interns in the executive’s office handle resident correspondence with guidance from the executive. Another form of constituent disclosure is a series of office hours each month in which the county executive sits down with residents to discuss county matters. Executives often schedule county-wide forums when there are major resolutions pending in the county council.
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