Los Angeles County has a larger population than 60% of the sovereign nations of the world. This seems incredible, but with a population of more than ten million, our county is huge.
It used to be larger. At one time it stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Territory of New Mexico. Yes, at that time New Mexico included Arizona, but the county did stretch all the way to the Colorado River.
In California, like other states, counties are a subdivision of state government. As the state's population grew the counties were divided regularly. Then, in 1907, the process was stopped, and county borders became fossilized.
Even today most American counties (as well as many in California) have a population of less than 50,000. The sheriff takes care of the jail, provides police protection in rural areas, carries out the orders of the local courts, and in some areas collects the taxes.
The county clerk registers deeds and mortgages, keeps the vital records of births, marriages, deaths and divorces. The clerk also administers elections and is the secretary to the county board and the courts.
The county assessor appraises the value of property for tax purposes.
The treasurer/auditor handles the funds and keeps financial records.
The district attorney prosecutes those accused of crimes.
The superintendent of schools may run a county system, or provide support services to local districts.
The coroner investigates deaths.
Other county functions include taking care of rural roads and public works, caring for the poor and protecting the public health.
In many counties these functions are carried out on a part-time basis. In Los Angeles County many officials have multiple offices and large staffs.
For the most part the public cares little about counties. People deal with them when they need a birth certificate, or want to take an estate through probate.
Thus we have allowed some California counties to grow tremendously since 1907, with little thought of making them more efficient, or about the fact that our elected officials have become more powerful than we ever intended, or about their multi-billion dollar budgets.
About Me
- Carl Boyer
- After thirty-five years of teaching history and government at San Fernando High School, I retired in 1998. That year I also completed my third term as a councilmember in Santa Clarita, a city which I served as Mayor at a time it was being organized as the "largest newly incorporated city in the history of humandkind." I also served at the chairman of the City Formation Committee in 1987. In my retirement I have helped my wife Chris save the lives of children from the third world - volunteering as their foster parents while they received life-saving surgeries arranged by Healing the Children. I also served as president of HTC. In addition, we have taken trips to Central America to visit schools and donate supplies, and I have arranged medical missions. I have published a number of volumes about genealogy.