County County GovernmentGovernment

in the United Statesin the United States

Packet 46Packet 46

47 states have counties47 states have counties(about 3000 in the United States)(about 3000 in the United States)

Counties are created by state governments Counties are created by state governments

and are under the state’s controland are under the state’s control

Some people who work Some people who work for every county:for every county:

ClerkClerk SheriffSheriff AssessorAssessor School School

SuperintendentSuperintendent TreasurerTreasurer

CoronerCoroner SurveyorSurveyor AuditorAuditor Prosecuting Prosecuting

AttorneyAttorney JudgesJudges

County ClerkCounty Clerk

Message from the ClerkMessage from the Clerk The Cook County Clerk serves as the chief The Cook County Clerk serves as the chief election authority for the entire county, Along election authority for the entire county, Along with administering elections in suburban Cook with administering elections in suburban Cook County, the Clerk's office maintains birth, County, the Clerk's office maintains birth, marriage and death records, assists property marriage and death records, assists property owners in redeeming delinquent taxes, and owners in redeeming delinquent taxes, and records the activity of the Cook County Board of records the activity of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.Commissioners.

SheriffSheriff

Sheriff's OfficeSheriff's Office   The Lake County Sheriff's Office exists to serve The Lake County Sheriff's Office exists to serve

the community by protecting life and property, the community by protecting life and property, by preventing crime, by enforcing the laws and by preventing crime, by enforcing the laws and incarcerating offenders of the laws, and by incarcerating offenders of the laws, and by maintaining order for all citizens.maintaining order for all citizens.

AssessorAssessor

Mission Statement:   The Office of Mission Statement:   The Office of Assessments strives to administer an Assessments strives to administer an accurate, fair, uniform, and timely accurate, fair, uniform, and timely assessment of all real assessment of all real propertyproperty in McHenry in McHenry County in accordance with and as mandated County in accordance with and as mandated by the Illinois Property Tax Code.by the Illinois Property Tax Code.

Function:   It is the function of the county Function:   It is the function of the county Office of Assessments to monitor and direct Office of Assessments to monitor and direct the countywide the countywide valuation of real propertyvaluation of real property for the purpose of for the purpose of real estate taxationreal estate taxation. .

School School Superintendent Superintendent

Barrington Community Unit School District 220 was formed in 1973 as a consolidated unit, combining two elementary districts and a high school district into one unit that educates students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Located about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, District 220 encompasses 72 square miles. It covers 12 villages: all of Barrington, Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes; and portions of Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Port Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, North Barrington, and South Barrington. In addition, District 220 is geographically located in 4 counties: Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Kane. District 220 has one high school, two middle school campuses for grades 6-8, eight elementary schools, and one early childhood center.

TreasurerTreasurer

Duties of Kane County TreasurerDuties of Kane County Treasurer The County Treasurer has the duty and The County Treasurer has the duty and

power to receive and safely keep the power to receive and safely keep the revenue and public monies of the County. revenue and public monies of the County. He must keep an account of all monies He must keep an account of all monies received by him. He also keeps accounts received by him. He also keeps accounts of all monies paid out by him, stating the of all monies paid out by him, stating the time, to whom payment is made, and on time, to whom payment is made, and on what account payment has been made.what account payment has been made.

CoronerCoroner

The Coroner Division's critical The Coroner Division's critical function and responsibilities function and responsibilities are to determine the medical are to determine the medical cause and mode of death, cause and mode of death, identification of the deceased identification of the deceased through thorough examination, through thorough examination, and the receipt, examination, and the receipt, examination, documentation and storage of documentation and storage of personal effects. All cases that personal effects. All cases that require a medical examination require a medical examination are brought to the morgue are brought to the morgue where a Pathologist examines where a Pathologist examines them. Deputy Coroners them. Deputy Coroners investigate the scene of death, investigate the scene of death, remove the deceased and remove the deceased and provide transportation to the provide transportation to the morgue. The Division records morgue. The Division records and documents their findings in and documents their findings in the Death Certificate.the Death Certificate.

SurveyorSurveyor

Responsible for Responsible for maintaining survey maintaining survey records. Further duties records. Further duties include: include:

Restoration,  Restoration,  preservation, and preservation, and documentation of land documentation of land corners established by corners established by the federal government the federal government beginning in the 1850's. beginning in the 1850's. Filing and checking Filing and checking subdivisions, land subdivisions, land partitions, boundary partitions, boundary surveys, and assistance surveys, and assistance with research are also with research are also part of the county part of the county surveyor's duties. surveyor's duties. 

AuditorAuditor

Charged with Charged with reviewing the reviewing the obligation, obligation, expenditure, expenditure, receipt and use of receipt and use of public funds. public funds.

Prosecuting AttorneyProsecuting Attorney

State's Attorneys OfficeState's Attorneys Office

    The State's Attorney has The State's Attorney has the exclusive and the exclusive and statutory responsibility for statutory responsibility for prosecuting violations of prosecuting violations of the criminal laws of the the criminal laws of the State of Illinois, as well as State of Illinois, as well as many other regulatory many other regulatory laws of the state and laws of the state and county including traffic county including traffic regulations.regulations.

He is also the lawyer for He is also the lawyer for Lake County providing Lake County providing legal advice, defense of legal advice, defense of court actions, and filing court actions, and filing and presentation of cases and presentation of cases brought by, or against, brought by, or against, Lake County. The State's Lake County. The State's Attorneys Office is divided Attorneys Office is divided into four main parts, the into four main parts, the Executive Staff, the Executive Staff, the Criminal Division, the Civil Criminal Division, the Civil Division and the Division and the Administrative Services Administrative Services Division.Division.

JudgesJudges

Message from the Chief Message from the Chief JudgeJudge

The judges and support staff The judges and support staff of the Circuit Court of the of the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of the State of Illinois are the State of Illinois are committed to serving the committed to serving the public by providing a fair and public by providing a fair and efficient system of justice that efficient system of justice that fosters the public trust and fosters the public trust and confidence. We work toward confidence. We work toward accomplishing this mission by accomplishing this mission by continually improving the continually improving the facilities, programs, and facilities, programs, and services provided to the services provided to the people of Lake and McHenry people of Lake and McHenry Counties.Counties.