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Ballot Explained

County office

What does a county commissioner do?

A member of the board that sets your county's budget and property tax rate.

Level
County
Term
4 years in most counties
On ballot
Nov 3, 2026

What this office controls

  • Sets the county property tax rate — usually the largest tax most homeowners pay locally.
  • Adopts the county budget, funding the sheriff, courts, public health, and often schools.
  • Approves land use, zoning, and development in unincorporated areas.
  • Decides on county facilities: jails, libraries, parks, water and sewer.
  • Appoints members of county boards and authorities.

What it can’t do

Just as important, and the source of most misplaced expectations about the job:

  • Does not run the school system day to day — that is the school board and superintendent.
  • Does not direct the sheriff's law-enforcement decisions, though it controls the sheriff's budget.
  • Cannot override state law.

Why this race matters

County commissioners set your property tax rate and decide what gets built near you. It is one of the highest-impact and lowest-turnout races on the ballot: local elections are routinely decided by margins in the dozens.

What to look for in a candidate

  • Position on the property tax rate and county debt.
  • Votes on specific development and rezoning decisions.
  • Priorities for county services — public health, EMS, libraries, parks.
  • Whether they have attended and participated in county meetings.

Common questions

What does a county commissioner actually control?

The county budget and the property tax rate, land use in unincorporated areas, and county facilities and services like the jail, health department, EMS, libraries, and parks. They fund the school system but do not run it.

Is this office on your ballot?

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Sources

1 source

What this office does is set by state and local law, which varies. These sources document the general structure; your state's own statutes govern.

  1. T2
    Census of Governments

    U.S. Census Bureau · Government record

Other county offices

Sheriff

The elected chief law-enforcement officer of the county, and in most places the operator of the county jail.

District Attorney

The elected prosecutor who decides which criminal charges are filed in your area.

Clerk of Court

The official who manages court records and, in many states, decides certain probate and guardianship matters.