Board of Commissioners

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The County Commissioners

The Lincoln County Commissioners are elected by the citizens of Lincoln County. Their combined experience, commitment and capable team of all-county employees "provide essential public services, both legally required and locally desired, in an efficient, effective, and respectful manner." Contact the Commissioners

Looking back

Lincoln County was governed by a commissioners' court beginning in April 1893, which consisted of two commissioners and a county judge who met in a rented building in Toledo. Appointed officials included: sheriff, stock inspector, school superintendent, coroner, county court judge, treasurer, veterinarian and clerk. The county court was replaced by a three-member board of commissioners in the late 1960s.

No two counties are exactly the same.

Counties are diverse in structure and how we deliver services to our communities. Twenty-eight of Oregon's 36 counties, including the nine with charters, are governed by a board of commissioners comprised of three to five elected members. The national Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations has identified county government in Oregon as having the highest degree of local discretionary authority of any state in the nation.

Today, Oregon counties face a complex task of providing vital public services because of the increasing demands of a growing population and diverse society.

Contemporary county government is involved in a wide range of important public services in addition to the traditional services. Today, county government responsibilities include public health, mental health, community corrections, juvenile services, criminal prosecution, airports, parks, libraries, land-use planning, building regulations, refuse disposal, elections, recording of vital records, air-pollution control, veterans services, economic development, urban renewal, public housing, county fairs, museums, animal control, emergency management, senior services, and many others.