This year, Texas’ 254 counties will celebrate April as County Government Month, promoting to their citizens the many important services provided by counties. In the past, one week every spring was designated as County Government Week, but beginning this year, the National Association of Counties (NACo) expanded the celebration to the entire month.
“Faced with ever-increasing service demands and state mandates, county governments in Texas are constantly on the lookout for ways to do more with less,” said Gene Terry, executive director of the Texas Association of Counties (TAC). “As the functional arm of state government closest to the people, counties are responsible for maintaining public records, supporting the justice system, providing adequate infrastructure, caring for the indigent, along with a host of other duties.”
Citizens need to know that their county government is there for them in these tough economic times. The county welcomes people to come visit their courthouse anytime, but particularly this month as the oldest form of local government in the United States is celebrated. County government in Texas has been a major partner in providing services to citizens since the early Republic days, and we are still doing so in the most cost-effective ways possible.
Important county services include operating the criminal justice and courts systems, protecting the public with law enforcement and emergency management, maintaining infrastructure, managing and protecting public records, meeting state mandates for indigent health care and indigent criminal defense, providing an equitable property tax system, ensuring quality of life services such as parks and libraries and offering services to those most in need such as the elderly and youth.
