Tarrant County Commissioners Court
The Commissioner’s court is made up of the County Judge and 4 County Commissioners. Scroll down to read more about the position, qualifications, elections, and who represents you on the Commissioners Court.
What is the County Commissioners Court?
The commissioners court conducts the general business of the county and consists of the county judge and four commissioners.
The court:
- Adopts the county’s budget and tax rate
- Approves all budgeted purchases of the county
- Fills vacancies in elective and appointive offices
- Sets all salaries and benefits
- Has exclusive authority to authorize contracts
- Provides and maintains all county buildings and facilities
County Commissioners Court Meetings
The Commissioners Court meets at 10 a.m every Tuesday. You can address the court in-person, written statement or by phone.
Addressing the Court by Written Statement:
Written statements must be submitted by noon (12 p.m.) the day before the regular posted meeting. The forms will be attached to the online posted agenda under the “Public Comments” section of the agenda prior to the meeting for public review with copies provided to the Court members. Written statements will not be read aloud during the Court’s session.
Addressing the Court by Telephone:
If you are wishing to address the Court at its next posted regular meeting via telephone, you must notify the Court using the public participation form by noon (12 p.m.) on the day before the regular posted meeting in which you wish to speak.
Addressing the Court In-Person:
All in-person attendees wishing to address the Court must deliver a completed form to the County Judge’s Office by 10 a.m. on the day of the regular posted meeting. Forms are available outside the Commissioners Courtroom.
County Judge
“County judges, as presiding supervisors of the commissioners courts, help govern county government, including providing safety protection, public transportation, parks, hospitals and buildings, providing zoning, waste, water and permit regulations, levying and collecting taxes for county and municipal organizations and overseeing and enforcing more specific duties, as laid out by Texas statutes. Though county judges are presiders, they may not veto the commissioners.” – Texas Association of Counties
Since Tarrant County is so big, the Tarrant County Judge devote their full attention to the administration of county government. They do not preside over cases.
The Proposed Annual Maximum Salary for County Judge as of Oct 1, 2021, is $198,475.94.
IMPORTANT NOTE: County Judge is a countywide position and when it is up for re-election, it will be on every Tarrant County resident’s ballot.
Duties
- Presiding officer of the commissioners court
- Represents the county in many administrative functions
- Serves as budget officer in counties with fewer than 225,000 residents
- Most have broad judicial duties, such as presiding over misdemeanor criminal and small civil cases, probate matters and appeals from the Justice of the Peace Court
- Serves as head of emergency management
County Commissioners
“The county commissioner is responsible for roads and bridges within their precinct and makes policy-making budget decisions. Four commissioners, elected from a quarter of the county’s population, serve along with the county judge on the commissioner’s court.” – Texas Association of Counties
The Proposed Annual Maximum Salary for County Commissioners as of Oct 1, 2021, is $188,475.82.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Commissioner is a precinct based position. Look up which Commissioner represents you here:
Duties
A county commissioner in Texas has the following duties:
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- As member of the commissioners court, exercises broad policy-making authority
- Represents one of four precincts within the county
- Typically responsible for building and maintaining county roads and bridges within the precinct
Qualifications
Here are the qualifications for what it takes to run for County Judge and County Commissioner Court!
*Note: For County Judge, it is not required to be an experienced Lawyer or Judge!
Resident of Texas
for at least 12 consecutive months
Resident of the precinct
for at least six consecutive months
Registered to vote
in the commissioners precinct
Not convicted of a felony
from which they have not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities
Not have been determined by a court
with probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote
School Districts
Learn more about the school districts in your community in Tarrant County!
Cities
Learn more about your city in Tarrant County!
District Courts
Learn more about the District Courts in Tarrant County!
County Courts
Learn more about the County Courts in Tarrant County!
Connect
Are you looking to get connected in your community? Check out our Connect page to learn more about what organizations/nonprofits are in your community in Tarrant!
Collaborate
Are you an Organizer or looking to become an Organizer in Tarrant County? Check out our Collaborate page to learn how you can join a Collaborate team with other organizers in Tarrant!