There are 58 counties in the State of California and each,
like Madera County, is a separate legal and political jurisdiction.
Madera County is a general law county and operates in accordance
with guidelines set forth by the State.
County government evolved to perform the duties of State
and Federal government at the local level. For that reason,
County government is often called the "arm of the State."
Many State and Federal programs are administered by Madera
County, such as: Social Services, Medicare, MediCal, Health,
Mental Health, Public Assistance, Community Services, Agricultural
Pest Detection, Civil Defense, and Veterans Services.
Madera County performs many additional services and programs.
The following description has been simplified in order to
explain County functions. No program or function operates
exclusively in a vacuum. That is, there is overlap within
the actual performance of these functions.
County government is given the task of enforcing State and
Federal law, as well as operating the Justice System. The
Justice System is the second-most costly item in the County
budget (Welfare programs are number one), and its appetite
is growing. Included, within the Madera County Justice System,
are the following departments: the District Attorney's Office;
the Sheriff's Office, the Probation Department, the Department
of Corrections, which operates the Adult Correctional Facility;
the Public Defender's Office; the four Justice Courts and
three Superior Courts; and the four Constable Offices.
State law requires Madera County to develop a "general
plan" which is designed to serve as the basis for development
and land use decisions throughout the County. The County updates
this plan periodically and must enforce local building and
development ordinances. The planning and inspection functions
are performed by the Planning, Engineering, Environmental
Health, and Road Departments.
Services to local citizens are an important function of Madera
County government and are perhaps the most visible to the
general population. Many of these services are required by
State or Federal statute, but are not funded by the State
or Federal government to any significant level. Because funding
for many, but not all, of these services comes from the County's
General Fund, it is often these direct services which are
cut back if the County has money problems. These services
include: the County Library System; the Community Action Programs
(Action Committee); the Mental Health Department (Madera Counseling
Center); the County Animal Control Department and Pound; the
Sealer of Weights and Measures; the County Agriculture Department
and University of California Agricultural Extension Services;
the Public Guardian; the County Health, Road, and Fire Departments;
and the Flood Control Agency.
In order to carry out the functions of Madera County government,
an operational and administrative branch has been created.
The Tax Collector-Treasurer collects the State property tax
and other State fees. The Auditor-Controller tracks revenue
and expenditures. The County Administrative Officer acts as
a manager and submits the budget. Other offices in the government
operations branch include the County Clerk-Recorder; the Engineering
and General Services, Elections, Personnel, and Purchasing
Departments; and the Central Garage.
The Board of Supervisors is the body charged by law to oversee
the duties and functions of Madera County government. Supervisors
work with the elected department heads and hire other department
heads to run the various departments. The Board of Supervisors
may set County policy, but works within the constraints of
State and Federal law. It is the duty of the Board of Supervisors
to submit a balanced budget to the State and "keep the
ship afloat."
All County operations cost money, and perhaps the most intricate
aspect of County government is the budget. Generally, the
County operates on funding from the State and Federal governments,
and property tax, sales tax, and fees generated locally. A
complete breakdown of revenues and expenditures is given in
another section.
The duties and functions of County government are broad and
intricate. Madera County operates within the constraints of
State and Federal law and maintains a balanced budget by statute.
Earl Waters' essay on "Why city dwellers pay County taxes"
sums up County government "...Counties are providing
citizens with the best buy for their dollars of any level
of government."
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General Background
The
Madera Method
