Defines the responsibilities of county commissioners and discusses roles as policy makers versus administrators.Public Economics,

Harvey, Lynn R.

English

Research Papers in Economics

Staff Paper
Role of County Commissioners: 
Policy Making v. Administration and
Serving on Statutory Boards and Commissions
Lynn R. Harvey
Professor and Extension Specialist
State and Local Government
No. 92-95 Revised December 1994
Department of Agricultural Economics
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
East Lansing, Michigan  48824 
MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity InstitutionRole of County Commissioners:
Policymaking v. Administration
and
Serving on Statutory Boards and Commissions
Lynn R. Harvey
harveyl@pilot.msu.edu
Staff Paper 92-95
Summary: “Defines the responsibilities of county commissioners and discusses roles as
policy makers versus administrators” 9 pgs.
Copyright © 1994 by Lynn R. Harvey.  All rights reserved.  Readers may make verbatim
copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that this
copyright notice appears on all such copies.-1-
Role of County Commissioners:
Policymaking vs. Administration
Lynn R. Harvey
Michigan State University
Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing
Onward through life he goes
Each morning sees a task begin
Each evening sees it close.
Longfellow's Village Blacksmith
Introduction:
Longfellow obviously wasn't describing the task of county commissioners, for
commissioners often respond that the tasks confronting a county commissioner, especially a
new county commissioner, at times appear insurmountable and never ending.  About the time
commissioners appear to have resolved one policy issue or crisis, another issues comes to the
forefront, such is the nature of being a county commissioner.  County government can best be
described as Gil Wanger, former legal counsel to the Michigan Association of Counties use to
state, as a  "patchwork quilt comprised of a mix governments within governments."  The mix of
county departments, agencies, commissions and boards patched together through state
enabling statutes that evolved over time combined with a mix of funding sources (local, state
and federal) creating a high degree of interdependency for which county commissioners are to
provide policy oversight.
Legislative Role of Commissioners
A county board by state statute assumes several key responsibilities: adopting and
monitoring a balance budget; adopting resolutions and ordinances which address health,
safety and welfare policy issues confronting a county; establishing or discontinuing programs;-2-
hiring non-elected department heads and county administrator/coordinator/controller; setting
salaries or wages of county officers, department heads and county employees; making
appointment to boards and commissions; and determining the number of personnel assigned
to each department under the county boards authority.  In the case of elected county officers,
Michigan courts have ruled that county officers are co-employers with the county board
meaning that wage negotiations for employees assigned to a department headed by an
elected county officer is a joint responsibility.
The county board by state statutes is charged with the responsibility to develop, adopt
and maintain a balanced budget for the general fund, special revenue funds and debt service
funds.  Through the budgeting process, the county board exerts its' policy influence in
determining the programmatic direction of the county since within the budgeting framework the
county board establishes the number of personnel assigned to each department and the
wage.  However, the county board does not operate within a vacuum due to the budgeting
process requires substantive input from cost center managers (department heads and agency
directors).  In order to fulfill their policymaking roles it is imperative that county commissioners
understand the goals and function of each county department, their funding sources and
current programming efforts.  Commissioners are urged to visit individually with departments or
provide a forum for department heads to address the county board early in the budget year
(January or early February) for expressed purpose of gathering information about each
department, time consuming yes, but most critical to assuming a policymaking role.  A
necessary but not sufficient condition to policymaking is understanding the unique nature of
the structure of county government and the responsibilities of each cost center.  An additional
condition for policymaking is gaining insight to the emerging trends and issues confronting the
county both financial as well as programmatic.  Such insights can only be gained through-3-
active listening to the individuals charged with the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day
operations of county government.
Policymaking v. Administration
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for county commissioners is the separation of
policymaking roles versus administrative roles.  The mixing of roles often leads to conflict
between the county board and department heads.  The day-to-day operation of county
department and agencies is the responsibility of the elected and appointed officials.  Conflict
arises when county policymakers attempt to become involved in administrative detail. 
Commissioners should resist the urge to become micro-managers such a questioning each
expenditure or action engaged by a cost center manager.  As long as elected and appointed
department heads are fulfilling their responsibility within the parameters established by
adopted board policy and enabling state statutes, and departmental/agency expenditures
remain within the allocated budget, county commissioners should refrain from interference. 
That is not to say that commissioners abdicate their oversight responsibilities.
Administrative oversight of departments and agencies fall into the realm of appointed or
elected county administrative personnel, if a county has established such a position, and
Board Commissioner committees.  It is advisable from an operational standpoint that each
department/agency be assigned to a standing board committee for administrative and
programmatic oversight.  The trend in county government is towards fewer board committees
with five to seven committees appearing to be a reasonable number.  According to state
statute, the county board is required to have a finance committee, all other committees are
established by past practices and the expressed needs of the county.  In addition to the-4-
finance committee, committees may evolve around the following functional groupings: health
and human services; public safety and courts; physical and economic development; and
county administration and finance.
The rationale for the groupings is to aggregate agencies and departments with similar
functions together for both budget development and programmatic monitoring.  Due to the
many interdependencies in county government, changes in staffing, appropriations and
program thrusts impact not only the office in question but related offices.  For example, if the
board responds to the sheriff requests for additional road patrol officers, the action will often
result in additional traffic for district court and the prosecutors office.  Without taking into
account the secondary impacts of the board's action in responding to the sheriff's request for
additional personnel, the board may well set in motion a series of additional budgetary
requests from the courts and prosecutor to address workload increases.  Therefore, evaluating
budget center requests within the context of functional groupings permit the board to assume a
macro perspective in policymaking and decision-making.-5-
Roles and Responsibilities of
Individuals Serving on Statutory
Boards and Commissions
Introduction
The county board of commissioners in each Michigan county has the statutory
responsibility of making various appointments to boards and commissions.  Each statutory
board or commission varies in terms of: the duties of the individuals appointed; the length of
the appointment; compensation received; the time of the year in which the appointment is
made; and whether county commissioners may serve as members on the board or commission
(this provision is set by state statute).
Counties exhibit variation in the procedures adopted for soliciting nominations for
appointments to the various boards and commissions.  The policy and procedures utilized by
the county board of commissioners should be contained in the Board's Rules and
Procedures adopted annually which provide the framework for the county board's ministerial
function of county government.  It is advisable that the county board include in their Board
Rules an calendar of appointments, the specific procedure for appointment and the type of
compensation (if any) designated for the various appointments.  The appointment calendar is
chronological listing of the dates and boards/commissions to which appointments need to be
made.  The procedure for making the appointments is a combination of state statutory
requirements and the adopted procedures of the county board.  Boards and commissions
requiring citizen participation, individuals other than county board of commissioners, requires a
designed plan for seeking nominations.  Some counties actively seek citizen nominations by
advertising in local media for all the appointments to be made during the year.  A pool of
potential nominees is garnered from the community, either through citizen self declared-6-
interest or nomination by others.  Counties have found it useful to solicit written information
about the nominees, this can be accomplished through the use of a nomination form filed with
the county clerk or designated county individual such as board of commissioner chair,
administrator or board secretary.
The process of appointing interested individuals to the various boards and commissions
must be a well thought out and planned process.  Appointments to merely fulfill the statutory
requirement leads to long run problems.  Individuals appointed who view who reluctantly
accept an appointment and do so out of a sense of obligation versus interest and commitment
to the county and the board to which the appointment is being made will tend to be less than
productive contributors in their advisory role.  What makes a good candidate for appointment?  
While no one set of criteria can be totally inclusive and capture all the criteria deemed
important in serving on a board or commission, a few general principles can be set forth.
Potential nominees to boards and commissions should have an interest and be willing
to become knowledgeable about the particular board or commission for which they have
expressed interest or have been nominated.  The county board and administrator can have on
file relevant information relating to each particular board and commission to which the county
board of commissioners make appointments.  A well defined statement which lays out the
roles and responsibilities for each advisory board and commission would be most useful to
individuals being considered or expressing interest in a particular appointment.  Beware of
individuals who have an "axe to grind" with a particular agency or commission.  Hidden
agendas of individuals can, in the long run, be disastrous to the agency or commission to
which the individual is appointed.  Problem appointments will tend to end up in the lap of the
county board, often after the damage has been done.-7-
Roles and Responsibilities
The roles of individuals appointed to various boards and commission vary depending
on the statutory nature of the appointment.  Some board or commission appointments serve
only in an advisory capacity while other positions may be both advisory and policy
management.  The statutes govern the nature of the role of the board or commission.  Since
variation is present, the need to develop a well defined statement of roles and responsibilities
and have available prior to the appointment is imperative.  The purpose of this brief discussion
is not to go into each board and commission and define the roles and responsibilities but to
address the differences between advisory and policy management.
Appointed board and commission members have the responsibility to become familiar
with the goals and objectives of the agency, state statutes which guide the operation of the
agency and the financing arrangement of the agency.  Some agencies have a complex
financing arrangement with federal, state and local funds involved.  Diligence in developing a
knowledge base of the financing arrangement is important if the board member is to fulfill his
or her role as a contributing member to the advisory body.  More discussion on financing will
be addressed in a later section of paper.
Boards or commissions which are advisory in nature function as a sounding board to
the agency director or management personnel.  The board member is appointed to solicit
feedback from the community and to advise the management staff on such issues as program
priorities, the success of the agency in meeting stated objectives and to provide assistance to
management staff in addressing issues and concerns which may develop in relationship of the
agency functioning in the community.  Separating an advisory role from a policy management
role is a fine line which may have to be defined by mutual agreement between the board and-8-
management staff.  The internal day-to-day management and operation of an agency is not
the function of an advisory board unless the management staff solicits input.  If the operation,
management and performance is below desired levels (assuming we know what those levels
are), the advisory body has an obligation to provide feedback to the management staff and
actively seek resolution of the deficiencies.
Boards or commissions which have both advisory and policy management
responsibilities such as hiring the agency director, performing evaluation of management,
approving contracts and are required to approve and review budgets, requires a more active
role on the part of appointed board members.  Such boards or commissions require the
appointee to gain an in-depth understanding not only of the financing arrangements but of the
operating policies and guidelines which contribute to the operation of the agency.  However,
the day-to-day management of agency remains with the management staff.  Interlopers to the
daily operation and management are seldom welcome and often resented by management
staff.  Board members need to be clear about their role and such clarity can only be gained
through active discussion of the entire board with management staff.
Advocate or Advisor?
Board of commission members appointed to a board or commission to which the county
board allocates county resources to, often find themselves in a conflict over whether to be an
advisor or advocate.  The tendency to become an strong advocate for the agency and argue
strenuously with county board members over appropriations levels at a time when the county is
attempting to reduce expenditures in other areas places the commissioner at odds with other
board members.  The role between county policymaker and advocate can be a confusing
distinction which requires county commissioners to constantly assess their position.-9-
When is it appropriate to be an advocate and when to assume the role of county
policymaker?  Unfortunately no clear line of distinction exist.  However, board of
commissioners appointed to boards and commissions as such assume their advisory role as a
county policymaker.  They are charged with the responsibility of representing the interests of
the county and the county board of commissioners and to report back to the county board on a
regular basis (preferably in writing).  County boards may want to adopt a policy requiring
commissioners, serving on various boards and commissions to provide written reports to the
county board chair.  Such written reports provide a historical record, avoids misunderstanding
often involved in verbal reports and can provide continuity to future board members appointed
to the same board.  While it is expected that individuals appointed to the various boards and
commissions will display some degree of advocacy for their particular agency or commission to
which they are appointed, balancing the two roles, county policymaker and advocate, needs to
be constantly reassessed.
Doing Your Homework
The most frequent criticism of board members by management staff is that board
members do not due their homework and come unprepared to meetings.  The issue is a two
way street, management staff have the responsibility to provide information ahead of time to
their advisory bodies, board members must take the time to become familiar with the agency,
its challenges, problems and programs.  In addition, gaining operational knowledge of the
financial condition is paramount to becoming an effective board member.  It is advisable that
management staff take time to provide in-service training to new board members and not
assume that the new appointees will gain the understanding by osmosis.  Advisory board
members tend to be busy people, an management staff are in a position to assist the
appointed representatives gaining familiarity with agency's operation.

ROLE OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: POLICY MAKING V. ADMINISTRATION AND SERVING ON STATUTORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

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