What’s a ComMissioner?

Overview

The Tarrant Commissioners Court is made up of four County Commissioners & one judge. Each of them are duly elected by their constituency. Each member of the court has the same voting power. Also, each Commissioner has both countywide and precinct responsibilities and is responsible for the construction and maintenance of County roads within their precinct. Commissioners maintain offices both at the Administration Building and within their precincts. They are responsive to the particular needs of people living within their areas of the County. In Tarrant County, each member of Commissioners Court serves as a liaison to a particular board or agency of the County such as the Hospital District.

Duties

• Set the tax rate and adopt the County budget;
• Appoint county officials and hire personnel;
• Fill elective and appointive vacancies;
• Establish voting precincts, appoint precinct judges, and call County bond elections;
• Let contracts and authorize payment of all County bills;
• Build and maintain county roads and bridges;
• Build, maintain, and improve County facilities, including jails;
• Provide for hospitals, public welfare, and veterans assistance;
• Manage all County facilities;
• Provide for the data services and archival needs of the County;
• Appoint an Administrator to oversee the operations of those departments reporting to the Court.

County Judge Duties

• Elected to a four-year term as the Chief Political Executive of the county.
• Presides over the county’s policy-making body, the Commissioners Court.
• Has appointment authority to countywide boards and commissions.
• Has Emergency Management Authority over the entire county, under Texas law.
• Adopts the county budget, sets county and JPS tax rates, and oversees building and maintaining county infrastructure, courthouses, jails, and many other functions and agencies in Tarrant County.