Commissioners participate in all decisions and work of Commissioners Court (the governing body of the County). The main functions of the court are: supervision and control of the county courthouses and jails; appointment and employment of county personnel; filling of vacancies in elective and appointive positions; determination of county tax rates; adoption of a county budget; establishment of voting precinct boundaries; calling of county bond elections; letting of contracts in the name of the county; building and maintaining county roads and bridges; and establishment of libraries and parks.

Commissioners Court also appoints members to numerous boards and commissions, sometimes serving as liaison or members themselves. Some of the boards are: Port of Houston Authority, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Children’s Protective Services, Joint City County Commission on Children, Mental Health and Mental Retardation Association, and the Harris County Hospital District.

Within individual precincts, each Commissioner is directly responsible for administration, parks, and road and bridge programs.

No. The Texas Constitution makes a county a legal subdivision of the state. The powers and duties of a county are limited to those specifically allowed by the constitution and laws of Texas. In urban counties such as Harris County, the state has granted limited ordinance authority for special situations such as health care, exotic animals, and other issues.

Commissioners Court approves the budgets of other elected officials offices but the elected official retains all other control over their respective operations. They are responsible to you as a taxpayer and voter.

The Hospital District is a distinct legal and taxing entity. Commissioners Court approves the budget of the Hospital District, but has no other direct control of their operations. Commissioners Court appoints the nine member Hospital District Board of Managers.

Property taxes are a major source of County funding. The Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector collects taxes. The Appraisal District performs property appraisals. The Appraisal District is, by law, a completely separate entity from Harris County. The Chief Appraiser runs the day-to-day operations of the Appraisal District. The Chief Appraiser reports to a five-member board of directors.

By May 15th of each year, the Chief Appraiser is required to send out notices of appraised value to property owners. If you do not agree with this appraisal, you have a limited amount of time to file a written notice of appeal with the Appraisal District and schedule an appeal hearing. For more information on the appeal process and procedures, call (713) 683-9200 or go to http://www.hcad.org/.

The Tax Assessor-Collector performs the duties of Registrar of Voters. Voter registration information is available from that office by calling (713) 368-2000 or visiting http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/ on the Internet. The County Clerk administers elections, collects and tabulates the votes, and records the election outcomes. During elections, you can find your voting location by calling (713) 655-6405 or visiting http://www.cclerk.hctx.net/ on the Internet.

Participation in the jury process is an important duty that assures the fair and efficient administration of our civil and criminal justice systems and guarantees the right to a trial by an impartial jury. To learn more about jury duty, visit http://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/ on the Internet and click on the “Jury Info” link.

A list of on-line services is available on the Harris County Home Page at http://www.hctx.net/.    "Online Citizen Services" and "Online Business Services" are displayed on the lower portion of the Home Page.

Visit the Harris County Home Page at http://www.hctx.net/. In addition, a booklet titled “Your Guide to Harris County Government” is available at the Precinct Three Westside Service Center, 16635 Clay Road, Houston, Texas.

The Harris County Rabies/Animal Control web site (http://www.countypets.com/) has detailed information on these and other pet and animal topics and is a great resource. Their phone number is (281) 999-3191. Their web site also has links and contact numbers for most of the city and non-profit animal shelters in Harris County.

Harris County government does not authorize or install speed bumps for public streets and roads maintained by the County. If you live in a city in Harris County, check with that city government to determine their policy on speed bumps.

Generally, the most effective way to stop speeders is increased traffic enforcement and fines. Deterrents such as traffic signs and speed bumps generally do not significantly affect the problem in the long-term. Report speeders to the local police department if you live in the city, your area constable or Sheriff's Department Patrol Division if you live in the unincorporated part of the County, or your contract deputy program coordinator if you have a program for your subdivision.