Once called the County Court, the modern County Commission actually functions as the legislative body of county government, working primarily through the committee system. There are eight standing committees and numerous other committees boards and commissions whose vote functions as a recommendation to the full County Commission.
Whether it is payment of bills, approval of expenditures, approval of the budget, zoning changes or new legislation, committee actions do not take on the color of law until approved by a vote of the full commission.
There are 25 commissioners in Washington County, serving in ten commission districts. Each commission district comprises several of the 40 Civil Districts, each of which is a voting precinct.
To see the Commission's adopted rules of procedure, click on the file attachment at the bottom of this page.
Originally there were 18 Civil Districts, but population growth has caused urban precincts to be subdivided in order to effect proportional distribution. One vestige of the old County Court days is that County Commissioners can still perform marriages.