Counties in Minnesota were organized to be administrative agencies of the state as well as local governments. As administrative agencies of the state, counties perform state mandated duties. Some examples of state mandated duties include assessment of property, record keeping (vital statistics and property records), property tax collection, maintenance of rural county roads and bridges, administration of election functions, maintaining peace in rural areas, and relief for the poor.

In Minnesota, the role of counties has grown from the basic services of an administrative agency of the state. Today, counties provide many other areas of government support, including social services, corrections, child protection, public health services, veteran services, planning & zoning, parks, water quality, and solid waste management.

As local units of government, counties also have the authority under state statutes to adopt local ordinances. Some examples of county ordinances that apply to the unincorporated areas of the county include county zoning, trespassing, open burning, and county parks ordinances. A listing of the Brown County Ordinances is available at http://www.co.brown.mn.us/about-brown-county/brown-county-ordinances.

The role of counties in Minnesota continues to evolve. For example, relief for the poor is now generally provided by the federal and state governments through income maintenance programs. However, administration of the federal and state income maintenance programs is carried out by county staff in the County Human Services Department.

Counties continue to administer state mandated services. The Association of Minnesota Counties regularly reminds state legislators that any new mandated services should also be accompanied by state revenue to counties to pay for providing the services. Unfunded mandates generally fall back on local property taxes as the funding source to pay for administering the state mandated services.

County Program Aid provides state funding for counties to provide services relating to public safety, human services, transportation, and other vital programs as directed by the state. The Brown County Board of Commissioners communicates often with our state legislators encouraging the state to either increase County Program Aid or to approve direct grants for state mandated services in order to provide local property tax relief.

Brown County government today is organized in fifteen (15) departments to provide comprehensive county government services, including general government functions such as property assessment, taxation, elections, property records, county attorney services, and rural planning & zoning; public safety functions through the Sheriff’s office, jail, and probation services; veterans services; social services; public health services; road & bridge management; U of M Extension services; county parks; and landfill/recycling programs. Brown County employs 213 full-time and 60 part-time staff to provide these county government services to residents.