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Chief
Executive
by
Monty Rainey, Junto Society
This
position bears many different titles throughout the states, but
regardless of whether the position is referred to as County
Judge, Chairman, Executive, or any other derivative, the position
is basically the same. For the purpose of simplicity, this
position will be referred as County CEO. The CEO is vested a
broad range of executive powers and presides over the
Commissioners Court, which has budgetary and administrative
authority over county government operations.
The
county CEO handles such widely varying matters as hearings for
beer and wine license applications, hearing on admittance to
state hospitals for the mentally ill and mentally retarded,
juvenile work permits and temporary guardianships for special
purposes. The CEO is also responsible for calling elections,
posting election notices and for receiving and canvassing the
election returns. The CEO may perform marriages.
A
county CEO may have judicial responsibility for certain criminal,
civil and probate matters - responsibility for these functions
vary from county to county. In those counties in which the CEO
has judicial responsibilities, they have appellate jurisdiction
over matters arising from the justice courts. The county CEO is
also head of civil defense and disaster relief, county welfare
and in most states, in less populated counties, the CEO prepares
the county budget along with the county auditor or county clerk.
The
County CEO’s office duties include, but are not limited to:
- preparing
all commissioners court agendas and minutes while ensuring the
proper notice and lawful conduct of all commissioners court
meetings;
- presides
over probate matters, guardianship matters and small estate
proceedings;
- orders
and certify's all elections';
- serves
as the chief budget officer as well as chairman of the
juvenile board;
- approves
requests for alcoholic beverage permits;
- conducts
marriage ceremonies;
- issues
delayed birth certificates;
- and
administers over grants and contracts for the county.
In
states or counties where the position holds the title of County
Judge, it is normal for the County Judge to preside over
misdemeanor civil cases.
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