What’s a Commissioner?

“The Commissioners Court is the general governing body of Tarrant County. The Court is made up of the County Judge who is elected countywide and presides over the full Court, and the four County Commissioners—each elected from one of the County's four precincts.”

The four County Commissioners have both countywide and precinct responsibilities. Each commissioner is responsible for construction and maintenance of County roads within his or her 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.

Despite the name, Commissioners Court is not a Judicial court but is the general governing body of the County.

Among the major duties of the Court, the Court is to:

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

All information above provided by TarrantCountyTx.gov.