Wyoming County Commissioners

The three County Commissioners constitute the chief governing body of the County. Statutory authority of the Commissioners is primarily of an administrative nature with legislative or policy-making powers. The County Commissioners are vested with selective policy-making authority to provide certain local services and facilities on a county-wide basis. Administrative powers and duties of County Commissioners encompass registration and elections, assessment of persons and property, human services, veterans’ affairs, appointment of county personnel, and fiscal management. As managers of fiscal affairs, County Commissioners are responsible for adoption of County budgets, assessment of property, levying of taxes, and borrowing of funds for construction of capital projects. They are also required by law to appoint a Chief Clerk, a County Solicitor, a Chief County Assessor and other County personnel.

The Commissioners are elected for four-year terms, with the terms of the three Commissioners running simultaneously. In the primary election, two Democratic and two Republican candidates are nominated for the three positions on the board. The three candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the following general election in November are named Commissioners. They take office the first Monday of the following January.

A portion of County administrative responsibilities is shared with other County officers and agencies. For example, the County Commissioners as members of the Salary Board, divide this responsibility with the County Treasurer and appropriate row office (all the individual offices in the courthouse) heads for fixing salaries of County employees and for determining the number of employees to be hired. Courts and elected officials of each Countyrow office do the actual appointing of their own clerks, deputies, and assistants, subject to limitations imposed by the salary board. All titles to real estate in the county are administered by the Commissioners, and to do this part of their job, the board is responsible for registration and assessment of real property, keeping accounts, and levying taxes.