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• Board of Commissioners
• Functions

Policy Making

County boards hold public meetings, plan and adopt a yearly budget, set the salaries of elected and appointed officials, review claims and approve warrants, supervise all county property, serve on various other committees, and serve as the County Board of Equalization.

Administration

The County Clerk serves as secretary to the county board, receives bills of claim, issues warrants, prepares, issues and files all marriage licenses, liens against personal property, articles of incorporation, liquor and tobacco licenses, licenses for hunting and fishing, and in smaller counties, may serve as the Register of Deeds, Election Commissioner, etc.

Elections

The Election Commissioner holds all Federal, State, and Local elections, counts ballots, issues certificates of election to winners, selects polling places, and makes certain these are accessible to the handicapped.

Finance

The County Assessor is responsible for inventory and valuation of all real and personal property of the county. The money received from this is used for the operations of the local government. The assessor refers to several manuals developed by the Nebraska Department of Revenue to assist in determining values.

Treasurer

All county funds pass through the County Treasurer. The Treasurer collects taxes from real estate and personal property and distributes the proceeds to towns, villages, schools, community colleges and natural resource districts, etc. They also title, register and license motor vehicles and boats, issue drivers licenses and permits, pay debts on bonds, and serve as the county investment officer.

Record Keeping

The Register of Deeds records and files various documents, mostly dealing with real estate including titles, deeds, mortgages, tax liens against property, maps and land parcels, etc.

Law Enforcement

The County Sheriff's purpose is the prevention of crime and protection of citizens and property. In most counties, the sheriff supervises the county jail, escorts inmates to and from court sessions, serves orders of court, collects delinquent property taxes and directs sale of foreclosed property. In Hall County, The Department of Corrections supervises the county jail.

Courts

There are 12 district courts in the State of Nebraska. There are 56 district court judges appointed by the Governor. The judges retain their positions through the election process. These judges rotate to each district. The district courts have jurisdiction over all felonies, civil cases over $52,000, equity cases and serves as the appeals for county courts. Hall County has three District Court judges.

Court Administration

The Clerk of the District Court schedules and keeps the docket, court activity records, collecting fines, bail bonds, collects and distributes child support and alimony payments and issues passports.

County Court

There are 58 county judges also appointed by the governor. They hold jurisdiction over misdemeanors, juvenile matters, traffic and city ordinances, preliminary hearings for felony cases and protects property interests after death. Hall County has two County Court Judges.

Prosecution

The County Attorney serves as prosecution for the county. A Public Defender provides defense for those who can't afford an attorney. In smaller counties, the public defender can be appointed by the court.

Education

Education is funded mainly by property taxes and state aid to education.

Roads

Each county must have a surveyor whose responsibilities include: writing legal descriptions, maintain records of land divisions, marks section corners, etc. In counties with over 50,000 residents, the surveyor must be a professional engineer, or registered land surveyor.

Highways

The County Highway Superintendent oversees all maintenance and construction activities on all county roads and bridges, supervises road crews for grading, filling potholes, snow removal, culvert and ditch cleaning, determine equipment and material needed and submits road improvement plans to the County Board.

Health and Safety

The county provides for those in need who are not eligible for services from state or federal government. The services provided include: food, shelter, clothing, medical expenses, laundry, burial expenses, housing supplies, transportation and personal care. Counties can also create a Health Department which provides additional services such as the prevention and control of disease, communicable disease investigation, water purity sampling, sanitary inspections, immunization programs, nutritional guidance, diabetes and blood pressure screening, prenatal and infant care classes, and Home Health care.

Civil Defense

Each county is required to have a Civil Defense program. This is to ensure protection of lives and property. In most counties, the Sheriff assumes this responsibility.

V.A.

Veterans' Services are responsible for assisting discharged military veterans with items such as pensions, claims, education benefits, and gaining admittance to a Veteran's Hospital or Veteran's Home. They also assist with changes in insurance and seek grants from private and public entities to help support veteran's benefits.

Weeds

Each county has a Weed Superintendent that is responsible for the detection and treatment of noxious weeds, investigate all complaints, evaluate chemicals used for treatment, inspect all land to see if weeds are destroyed and keeps records of this information.