# Where is the best county government? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584 "2025-01-05T15:46:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/21 "2025-01-05T23:05:52Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I think you have to define your criteria. I will try. 🙂 The responsibilities of county government vary in each state. In many states (all?) schools are a separate political subdivision which may or may not align with the county. So, I am setting public education to the side-but that may not be appropriate in all cases. Each county has some defined set of responsibilities. I am asking that each person responding to this thread look at whatever responsibilities the county has (for example-county road maintenance or trash collection if appropriate) and if the county is meeting or exceeding the expectation of the public in those areas how they accomplish that. Is the county government respected by the residents? Is communication between the county and the public maintained? I don’t wish to give a checklist since each state is different (Connecticut is an example. I didn’t know that about Connecticut). Feel free to focus on just those responsibilities the county is good at. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/22 "2025-01-06T01:42:02Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Lancaster County, Nebraska thanks that is an example of what I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/23 "2025-01-06T01:43:38Z")
But not all the services provided by Lancaster County are functions of every county. In Missouri school districts are independent bodies, and neither county nor city governments have any control over them. The community colleges are separate from both the university system AND the public schools. Around here, public transit is handled by yet another agency that runs a unified system serving several counties. How exactly do we separate “the best county government” from “a great place to live?” ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/24 "2025-01-06T05:28:15Z")
Perhaps you’ll like this answer better: … Lancaster County, Nebraska uses a commissioner form of government: - **Structure** Lancaster County has five commissioners who are elected to four-year terms by district. - **Responsibilities** The board of commissioners is the primary policy-making and legislative body for the county. They also have executive powers, such as the authority to appoint or remove departmental heads. Nebraska counties can be organized under either a commissioner or township form of government. The commissioner form is used by 71 counties in Nebraska, while the township form is used by 22… [AI mashup] From Ballotpedia: … Board of Commissioners _See also: [County commission](https://ballotpedia.org/County_commission)_ The board of commissioners functions as the county’s primary legislative and policy-making body. Most county boards also control county land usage, oversee environmental issues, and possess executive powers, meaning they have the authority to appoint or remove departmental heads. In Lancaster County, there are five commissioners who are elected by district to four-year terms.[[2]](https://ballotpedia.org/Government_of_Lancaster_County,_Nebraska#cite_note-boc-2) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/25 "2025-01-06T05:38:12Z")
Mayberry County ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/26 "2025-01-06T05:43:05Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > But not all the services provided by Lancaster County are functions of every county. Based on the department listing at the top of the [county website](https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/), they mostly don’t seem to be services provided by Lancaster County either. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/27 "2025-01-12T20:20:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Mayberry what state? Thanks for all the replies! If nothing else, this proves once again that defining one’s terminology is key to a successful question. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584/28 "2025-01-12T20:23:48Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > what state? A [fictional version of North Carolina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andy_Griffith_Show). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-county-government/1012584.md?page=1)