Non-Judicial Offices
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The Board of County Commissioners or County Council constitutes the chief governing body of the county. Members of these boards implement policy and provide certain local services and facilities on a county-wide basis. Duties encompass voter registration and elections, assessment of property, human services, emergency management, veterans’ affairs, appointment of county personnel and fiscal management, among others.
Community Impact: The Board of County Commissioners function as the administrative portion of the Executive Branch, keeping the electorates’ needs at the forefront as policies are made which impact downstream services. We must elect a Board that knows the community intimately before serving in this capacity.
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: None
Eligibility
A county commissioner is prohibited from serving, at the same time, as a member of the legislative body of any city, borough, town or township of any class, treasurer or tax collector of any city, borough, incorporated town or township, school director of any school district or member of a board of health
It is also inadvisable for a county commissioner to be a member of a municipal authority created by the Board of Commissioners
Salary: Varies
Learn More: Manual for County Commissioners
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This office only exists in certain counties: Allegheny, Erie, Lehigh, Northampton
The County Executive shall serve as the head of the Executive Branch of County Government. The County Executive is responsible for the administration of all County operations including management, budget and administrative operations and activities as well as providing oversight for all Division Heads in the County.
Community Impact: The County Executive ensures local government’s customer service for the greater public; making sure resources are allocated appropriately so that government services clearly benefit the constituents. Usually the last stop when approving contracts, budgets, and expenditures for the entirety of the county, this position has a hand in all of what’s going on but is also supported by all of the department heads and their corresponding offices.
Term: Four years
Term Limit: Dependent on bylaws
Eligibility
This position only applies to Allegheny, Erie, Lehigh, and Northampton counties
The County Executive must be a resident and registered voter of the county
The County Executive must devote their full time to the duties of the office
Salary: $95,000 - $190,000
Row Offices
Note: Dependent on the county’s needs, some of these offices may vary between appointed and elected. Visit your county’s website for more accurate information.
Additionally, some of the offices in the left column may be combined. When separate, these offices operate independently from one another and have no particular hierarchy within local government.
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The Clerk of Courts is the official record keeper for all matters relating to the criminal division of the Court of Common Pleas. All documents pertinent to a criminal court case must be filed with the Clerk of Court. All records, with the exception of records involving juveniles, are open for public view.
The Clerk of Courts staff are trained professionals; however, they are prohibited from giving any legal advice.Community Impact: With all that the Clerk of Courts is responsible for, this position ensures that the court is functioning effectively and fairly. Carrying the bulk of the public’s administration means that the paperwork that moves through Clerk of Courts directly affects people’s lives.
Eligibility
Refer back to the Statewide Eligibility requirements
Term: 4 years
Term Limit: Local bylaws
Salary: $56.5k - $136k
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The Office of Prothonotary is responsible for the recording and filing of legal papers for the civil side of the court system. This includes the being the county liaison to the Federal Department of State that helps with passport applications and renewals, as well as new citizen swearing-ins by immigrants and refugees. The Prothonotary is also involved in matters such as name change, custody, divorce, driver’s license suspension appeals, landlord-tenant, tax liens, medical malpractice, personal injury, protection from abuse orders, mortgage foreclosures.
Community Impact: This office puts a human face and touch on government services, especially during times of citizen crisis.
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The Recorder of Deeds is the custodian of all land records and indexes relating to land transfers and is required to archive all records related to property.
The Recorder of Deeds is responsible for administering oaths and recording commissions for notary publics. The office acts as the repository for military discharge papers (DD214s), bonds and commissions of county elected officials, common pleas judges and magisterial district judges. The Recorder of Deeds also records subdivision and highway plans, power of attorneys, and other miscellaneous documents.
The office is responsible for the collection of county and state fees as well as real estate transfer taxes which are then distributed to the Commonwealth and the County’s municipalities and school districts.
Community Impact: Deeds kept by the county can go as far back as its inception. Land, ownership, and money all come into play and must be handled professionally, accessibly, and without ambiguity.
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Note: Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans’ Court duties and titles are most likely combined, as jurisdictions overlap.
Register of Wills: The register of wills is responsible for probating wills and granting letters of administration in cases where persons die without leaving a will. The register has jurisdiction over and maintains records of wills, inventory of estates and other miscellaneous documents. The register is the commonwealth’s agent for the collection of the state inheritance tax.
Clerk of Orphans’ Court: serves as the filing office and custodian of records for matters involving adoptions, guardianship and estate litigation.
Community Impact: This office serves the interests of two of our most vulnerable within communities: the elderly and minors. That being said, each case must be handled with care, without prejudice, and tailored to the needs of the parties involved.
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The district attorney is the chief law enforcement officer of a county and has oversight of all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the county. They enforce the law and, at the same time, protect the rights of crime victims. They seek appropriate punishment for those who commit crimes, provide assistance to victims of crime and offer community-based crime prevention programs to educate the public. Additional personnel, deputy district attorneys, county detectives, stenographers, and clerks are appointed by the district attorney to assist with the operation of the department.
Community Impact: District Attorneys directly shape the public safety of the community and ensure there is a fair approach to justice. Like many roles in the justice system, District Attorneys have a direct impact on the trajectory of community members’ lives and the lives of their family and community.
For decades, prosecutors have won elections by championing tough-on-crime policies that empowered them to use their discretion to levy harsh punishments that have disproportionately affected low-income communities of color, especially Black communities. Most recently, District Attorneys are shifting away from an overly punitive vision of safety and justice and toward alternatives to incarceration that promote equitable and prevention-oriented responses within the criminal justice system.
Eligibility
District attorneys must be at least 25 years old
Admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for least one year before taking the oath of office
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: Dependent on local bylaws
Salary: $187,263 - $233,522
Learn More: https://fairandjustprosecution.org/
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The Sheriff is a law enforcement officer ensuring public safety and security to the courts and county. They serve and enforce court orders and warrants, conduct real estate sales, issue firearms licenses, provide safe and secure transportation of prisoners for court appearances, and assist other law enforcement agencies. The sheriff is also given authority to appoint deputies which are necessary in order to properly transact the business of his office.
Community Impact: To the public, the sheriff and police force are the first faces of the law. Historically, marginalized groups have been subject to the negative effects of internal biases and prejudice, with corruption within the office leading to real-world inequities that follow individuals and families well past the date of redemption. We need individuals with a strong sense of social justice, moral fortitude, and entrenchment within the community
Eligibility
Certification required. The Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Program (160 hours)
If prior education, training or experience. The board, with the review and approval of the commission, shall have the authority and the discretion to reduce the hours of education and training required for sheriffs required because of prior education, training or experience, have acquired knowledge or skill equivalent to that provided by the program.
Continuing education. Every sheriff shall, while in office, meet the requirements for continuing education established by the board, with the review and approval of the commission.
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: Dependent on local bylaws
Salary: $67,148 - $116,810
Learn More: https://pasheriffs.org/
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The controller is the chief financial officer of the county and is responsible for the accounts of all functions collecting, receiving, or disbursing county funds. They are responsible for activities including general accounting, accounts payable, internal audit, payroll, and retirement. The controller prepares financial reports for the board of commissioners and the public.
Community Impact: The controller must be attune to the unique needs of the county, able to analyze the ebb and swell of the budgetary needs through fair grant assignment; reflective of the government services provided. They must be held to a standard that ensures the transparency of equitable, effective, and accessible programs for the public.
Eligibility
Refer back to the Statewide Eligibility requirements
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: Dependent on local bylaws
Salary: $70,720 - $116,809
Note on Tax Collectors / Auditors
Additional elected officials include a tax collector, who collects the real estate tax for the municipality, and three auditors or one controller, who annually audit all township accounts. A municipality may, in addition to electing auditors or a controller, appoint a certified public accountant to perform the audit.
→ More about Tax Collectors / Auditors: Municipal Offices Page
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The coroner investigates deaths that are sudden or violent to determine the cause of death. They are empowered to perform autopsies, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and issue death certificates. Contrary to popular belief, it is the medical examiner who actually determines the cause of death while the coroner issues the death certificate.
Community Impact: This position requires someone with tact, reverence, and mental fortitude. Although not always required in cases of natural death, a coroner must remain on schedule and act with fairness and efficiency through the administrative process to usher afterlife care for grieving families.
Eligibility
Prior to taking the oath of office, newly elected coroners must attend a course of instruction and pass an examination given by the Coroner's Education Board.
In the event the elected coroner does not take the required course or fails the examination, the position is declared vacant.
Each coroner must annually take at least eight credit hours of continuing education. Failure to comply also results in the office being declared vacant.
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: None. May be voted into office indefinitely.
Salary: $49,028 - $99,382
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The County Treasurer is responsible for collecting not only the money due to the county, but may also be assigned to collect any funds owed to the municipalities within its borders, including the school districts, the state and any other taxing entities within the county. Also seen as the banker for the county, the Treasurer often collects money from other county departments. These include fees for services, licenses and revenues from bond issues and special assessments.
Community Impact: County treasurers manage and invest taxpayer funds to ensure the financial stability of local governments. Treasurers also distribute tax money to various divisions and subdivisions according to county levies.Treasurers collect money owed to the county, such as taxes on real estate, mobile homes, utilities, and more.
Eligibility
In Pennsylvania, a treasurer must be at least 21 years old
Some counties may require the treasurer to be a certified accountant
Term: 4 Years
Term Limit: Dependent on local bylaws
Salary: $40,000 - $98,000
