What Do The County Commissioners Really Do?

There seems to be a lot of focus on the race for county commissioners in Clark County. It leads me to the question posed in Office Space: “What would you say you do here?”

So, what do county commissioners really do?

I know they earn around $100k and make decisions regarding the county, but what do they do?

According to the Board of Clark County Commissioners website, here are the board’s responsibilities:

Making decisions that can shape the course of life in Clark County for years to come is not an easy process. That’s why, before they decide an issue, Clark County’s commissioners get extensive input from community members through citizen advisory groups, town hall meetings, one-on-one conversations, and through other means.

Elected to four-year terms by the citizens of Clark County, the three commissioners provide legislative authority for Clark County. Together, they form the Board of Clark County Commissioners and are responsible for:

• Adopting the biennial budget
• Developing and implementing planning and zoning policies
• Making citizen appointments to advisory committees and boards
• Adopting all county ordinances

By state law, some land-use decisions, such as some hearings examiners findings, may be appealed to the Board of Clark County Commissioners.

So, what do they really do? What are examples of what they have done in the past? Is it all fluff? Do they just “deal with the goddamn customers” like Tom Smykowski in Office Space? Would the county be able to function without them?