Board of Commissioners

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What Does the Board of Commissioners Do?

The chief legislative and policy-making body of Kent County Government is the 19-member Board of Commissioners.

Commissioners are elected to 2-year terms from districts that are roughly equal in population. A chair and vice-chair are elected at the first meeting of each new year by the Commissioners. The chair appoints each Commissioner to one of two standing committees: the Finance and Physical Resources Committee or the Legislative and Human Resources Committee.

Among the Commissioners' other duties are:

• Approving a mission statement for the County.

• Adopting the annual County budget, which for 2008 is $372.2 million -- $367.4 milliion for operating expenses and $4.8 million for capital expenditures.

  This includes approving the annual budgets of other, independently elected, County officials: the County Clerk, the Drain Commissioner, Judges of the 17^th Circuit Court and 63^rd District Court, the Prosecutor, and the Treasurer.

• Raising the money to fund the County's operations by levying property taxes, setting fees, selling bonds or borrowing.

• Appointing citizen members to County boards, commissions and committees, which provide oversight for significant County services. These include the Aeronautics Board, the Community Health Advisory Committee, the Community Mental Health Authority Board (Network180), the John Ball Zoo Advisory Board, the Road Commission, and the Veteran's Affairs Committee.

• Selecting a County Administrator/Controller to supervise the day-to-day operations of County departments.

• Determining the sites of County buildings, and purchasing or disposing of County-owned property and facilities.

• Representing the County, and managing its property and business by adopting rules, regulations, ordinances and policies.

Now in Session ... Board Meetings

Regular, public meetings of the Board of Commissioners are scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month in the Board of Commissioners' Room (Room 310) on the third floor of the County Administration Building.

The Board welcomes area residents to express their ideas or concerns about issues affecting Kent County Government during the beginning of the meeting agenda called "Public Comment." Speakers are requested to state their name and address, with individual comments being limited to five minutes or less.

Copies of the Board's agenda are available by calling the County Clerk's office at (616) 632-7640. Minutes of past meetings also are available by calling the County Clerk's office.

See the Kent County Meeting/Event CalendarFor a complete list of upcoming meetings and times.

Standing Committee Meetings

Items that appear on the Board of Commissioners' agenda usually are first considered by one of two standing committees. Finance Committee meeting minutes and Legislative Committee meeting minutes are reviewed and approved by each respective committee.

The Finance and Physical Resources Committee is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Board of Commissioners' Room (Room 310) on the third floor of the County Administration Building. The committee's duties include:

• Reviewing the County's operating and capital budgets, and department performance measures.
• Approving the County's annual financial statement.
• Overseeing operations and maintenance for the Courthouse, the County Administration Building, the Correctional Facility, and the John Ball Zoo.
• Supervising the County Administrator in carrying out County policies.

The Legislative and Human Resources Committee is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Board of Commissioners' Room on the third floor of the County Administration Building. The committee's duties include:

• Determining salaries for County officials whose pay is not fixed by law.
• Examining matters of public safety and law enforcement.
• Planning the County's formal legislative program.
• Recommending revisions to the Board of Commissioners' standing rules.
• Reviewing County department's performance measures.

Each standing committee welcomes residents to address concerns or issues involving County government during the beginning of the meeting agenda called "Public Comment." Speakers are requested to state their names and addresses, and to limit their individual comments to five minutes or less.

Copies of the agenda and minutes for either standing committee are available by calling the Executive Assistant to the Board at (616) 632-7580.

Persons who wish to attend a standing committee meeting, and who need reasonable accommodation to participate, are asked to contact the Executive Assistant to the Board at (616) 632-7580.