What does a county council member do?

What this office controls

• Approves, cuts or amends the county budget and sets the property tax rate.
• Passes county laws, including zoning and land-use rules.
• Approves or rejects major development, rezoning and county contracts.
• Confirms the county executive's appointments, where the county has an executive.

What it can’t do

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

• Does not run county departments day to day — that is the county executive or county administrator.
• Does not run the public schools, though it decides much of their funding.
• Cannot override state law.

Why this race matters

The council decides your property tax rate and what gets built near you, and in most counties a single seat can swing a close vote. Turnout for these seats is usually far lower than for the races at the top of the ballot.

What to look for in a candidate

• Position on the property tax rate and the county budget.
• Votes or stated positions on specific development and rezoning decisions.
• Priorities for county services — police, transit, roads, parks, libraries.
• Whether they represent a district or the whole county, and what that district needs.