It’s election season! While some folks might decide to avoid talking politics at family gatherings to keep the peace, here at the Frisco Chamber, our advocacy goal is to talk politics that support the business community every chance we get. In conversations centered around our advocacy efforts, we often hear the question, “What exactly does that elected official do for me and my business?” To answer the question, we’ll start by looking at the roles of our local elected offices, beginning with the County Judges and County Commissioners.
County Judge
More days in an office than a courtroom
Don’t let the title of “Judge” fool you – the County Judge may preside over judicial issues, but truly, he/she is more akin to the CEO of the County (in business terms). According to the Texas Association of Counties (TAC), their list of duties includes:
- Presiding officer of the Commissioners Court
- Represents the county in many administrative functions
- Serves as budget officer in counties with fewer than 225,000 residents
- Most have broad judicial duties, such as presiding over misdemeanor criminal and small civil cases, probate matters and appeals from the Justice of the Peace Court
- Serves as head of emergency management
Essentially, services provided by the county, such as roads and bridges, emergency management, public health, courts, public works, and elections, are under the ultimate responsibility of the County Judge. County employees who work in those areas, make recommendations on what services are needed and their costs. Those recommendations are then forwarded to the Commissioners Court, who will approve or defer the requests. As the presiding officer of the Commissioners Court, the County Judge must ensure the court abides by statutes during the meetings and in their decisions.
Requirements of the job
The County Judge must meet the following qualifications at the time of appointment or election:
- U.S. Citizen
- Resident of Texas for at least 12 consecutive months
- Resident of the county for at least six consecutive months
- Registered to vote in the county
- At least 18 years of age
- Not have been finally convicted of a felony from which they have not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities
- Not have been determined by a court with probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote
There are also continuing educations requirements and more , once in the elected position.
According to the 2020 County Officials Salary Survey, the salary for Collin County Judge is listed at $159,180 and Denton County Judge at $149,529.
County Commissioners
Four County Commissioners and the County Judge make up the commissioners court. Each Commissioner represents their quarter of the population in the county. The Commissioners Court does following:
- Adopts the county’s budget and tax rate
- Approves all budgeted purchases of the county
- Fills vacancies in elective and appointive offices
- Sets all salaries and benefits
- Has exclusive authority to authorize contracts
- Provides and maintains all county buildings and facilities
Requirements for County Commissioners
Like the County Judge, County Commissioners also have continuing education requirements. A County Commissioner must meet the following qualifications at the time of appointment or election:
- U.S. Citizen
- Resident of Texas for at least 12 consecutive months
- Resident of the precinct for at least six consecutive months
- Registered to vote in the commissioners precinct
- At least 18 years of age
- Not have been finally convicted of a felony from which they have not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities
- Not have been determined by a court with probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote
The 2020 County Officials Salary Survey lists the Collin County Commissioner’s salary as $130,020 and Denton County Commissioner’s salary at $124,802.
Uniquely Frisco
The City of Frisco is unique, in that we are a dual county city – part of Frisco is in Collin County and the other piece in Denton County. At the Frisco Chamber, we see this as an opportunity to work with both the east and west sides of our great city, to advocate for the needs of our businesses. If you have questions about which county service divisions to contact for an issues, please reach out to our government relations division and we will get you connected.
This event has been cancelled.
As a reminder, the Frisco Chamber’s Candidate Forum is scheduled for October 13, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00PM at Grace Church in Frisco Square. Candidates for County Judge and Commissioners have been invited to participate. Also, early voting runs from October 24, 2022 through November 4, 2022. If you’re not already registered to vote, the deadline is October 11, 2022 to do so. Election Day is November 8, 2022.
