Commissioners

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3/10/2010

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	Commissioners

Commissioners Court

At the heart of each of the 254 counties in Texas is the Commissioners Court . Each county has four(4) precinct Commissioners and a County Judge . These five elected officials make up the Commissioners Court with the County Judge acting as the Chairman of the Court. This body conducts the general business of the County and oversees County financial matters, including formulation of the annual budget.
While most functions are administered by these Elected Officials, others are managed by Department Heads, appointed by the Commissioners Courts, such as the County Engineer, Pre-Trial Release Director, Personnel Director and Veteran's Service Officer.
Click here to view a map of the Commissioners Precincts

Among other responsibilities, the commissioners court:

Sets the yearly property tax rate and approves the budget and employment level for the county;
Sets commissioners and justice of the peace precinct boundaries;
Calls, conducts and certifies elections, including bond elections;
Sets employment and benefit policy;
Establishes long-range thoroughfare, open space, land use, financial and law enforcement/jail needs and plans;
Acquires property for rights-of-way or other uses determined to be in the public's best interest;
Provides rural ambulance services and subsidizes rural fire protection;
Oversees the construction, maintenance and improvement of county roads and bridges;
Appoints non-elected department heads and standing committees;
Supervises and controls the county courthouse, county buildings, and facilities;
Adopts a county budget;
Determines county tax rates;
Fills vacancies in elective and appointive positions; and
Has exclusive authority to authorize contracts in the name of the county.

Commissioner's Court Contact Information:

Commissioner Pct	Full Name	Phone
County Wide	County Judge Joel Baker	(903) 590-4600
1	Commissioner Jeff Warr	(903) 590-4601
2	Commissioner Bill McGinnis	(903) 590-4602
3	Commissioner Terry Lee Phillips	(903) 590-4603
4	Commissioner JoAnn Hampton	(903) 590-4604