Counties sit between the municipality and the state
New Jersey has 21 counties. Each one contains a number of municipalities, and each county has its own government with responsibilities that cover the whole county rather than a single city or town. Camden County, for example, includes the city of Camden along with dozens of other municipalities. Counties are often the least familiar level of government to residents, partly because their work is less visible than a city’s street crews or police.
The rest of this article describes the general structure. Details such as the exact makeup of a county board or the services a county provides vary and can change, so the county’s own website is the best source for current information.
How a county is governed
Every county is led by an elected board. Historically the board was called the Board of Chosen Freeholders, and its members were called freeholders. State law changed the title to Board of County Commissioners and “commissioner” for the members, so older documents and news stories may use the former wording for the same office.
The board typically:
- adopts the county budget and sets the county’s share of property taxes
- passes resolutions and ordinances on county matters
- oversees county departments, either directly or through a county administrator
- approves contracts and borrowing, within limits set by state law
Boards can be organized in different ways. In many counties, members are elected countywide, and in others some seats are tied to districts. Some counties also have an elected county executive, a separate position that works alongside the board. This depends on the form chosen under state law, so it is not the same everywhere.
Constitutional officers elected countywide
Several county offices are filled by separate elections, not chosen by the board. Commonly described ones include:
- County clerk. Keeps a variety of records, often including deeds, mortgages and other recorded documents, and plays a role in elections administration, such as ballot preparation.
- Sheriff. Handles court security, serving legal papers and related duties. The sheriff’s role in New Jersey differs from that in some other states, and in most counties the sheriff is not the primary local police force.
- Surrogate. Handles probate matters, such as wills and estates, and some matters involving guardianship and adoption.
The county prosecutor is a related office. In New Jersey the prosecutor is appointed through the governor and confirmed by the state senate rather than elected, and the office leads the prosecution of serious crimes in the county and supports local police agencies.
Services counties commonly provide
What a county does varies, but these areas are typical.
- Courts and justice support. The state judiciary runs the court system, but counties often provide courthouses and related facilities and operate county jails or contract for corrections.
- Public records. Recording property documents is a county function. Anyone doing deed records research typically begins with the clerk or register of deeds.
- Roads and bridges. Counties maintain a network of county roads and bridges, which is separate from local municipal streets and from state highways.
- Parks and open space. Many counties operate large park systems that cross municipal borders.
- Social services. The county board of social services or similar agency administers certain benefit programs under state rules.
- Health and public health coordination, aging services and veterans’ programs, in varying forms.
- Emergency management and communications, including coordination among local departments.
- Higher education. Counties sponsor community colleges. These regional colleges are typically overseen by their own boards of trustees but depend on county support.
- Vocational and technical schools. Many counties operate these separately from local districts.
Counties generally do not run local public schools, collect household trash or provide neighborhood policing. Those jobs usually belong to school districts and municipalities.
How counties are funded
County government is paid for largely through the county portion of the property tax bill. A property tax bill in New Jersey commonly shows separate amounts for the municipality, the school district and the county, and the county share is collected through the municipal tax collector and then passed along. Counties also receive state and federal funds for specific programs, as well as fees and other revenue.
The mechanics resemble municipal budgets, in that a county board must adopt a budget under state rules and is subject to audit and caps on growth in some categories. The article on municipal budgets and property taxes goes through the basic budget cycle, which is similar in outline.
Why counties and cities get confused
The names of offices can mislead. A county sheriff and a city police chief sound alike but do different things. A county park may be in the middle of a city. A county road may look like any other street. And a county sometimes shares its name with its largest city, so a reference to “Camden” might mean the city or the county.
The history of how counties were formed is a separate story. Camden County, for example, was created in the nineteenth century from part of an older county, and that background on county formation explains why boundaries are where they are.
Following county government
Counties hold public meetings, publish agendas and minutes, and are covered by New Jersey’s open public meetings and open public records laws. Residents can check the county website for meeting schedules, contact details and a directory of departments. Elections for county offices appear on the general election ballot, so voters in November often see county races alongside state and federal ones.
This is a general explanation and not legal advice. Structures and services can change, so readers should confirm specifics through the county’s own published information.