Modoc County Government Information

Modoc County is one of California's 44 general law counties. The state is divided into 58 counties, 44 of which are general law counties, with the remaining 14 called charter counties. General law counties adhere to state law as to the number and duties of county elected officials. Charter county government structure is essentially the same, but with more latitude in self-determination when it comes to forming a governing board and appointing or electing other county officials. Each California county is required to have a minimum of five County Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors elected from five Supervisory Districts governs Modoc County.

The Board of Supervisors is both the legislative and the executive authority in the county. A Supervisor must be a registered voter of, and reside in, the district from which they are elected. Each Supervisor is elected to a term of four years, staggered by two years (every two years, 2-3 Supervisors are elected). In the event of a mid-term vacancy, the Governor appoints a successor to complete the term.

The Board of Supervisors meets once a week in the boardroom of the County Courthouse to conduct official county business. A special meeting may be called at any time if required. A majority of the members of the Board forms a quorum for conducting business, and any official act of the Board must receive a majority vote to pass. All meetings must adhere to California’s Ralph M. Brown Open Meetings Act which means all meetings (with a few exceptions) must be open to the public. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors records and publishes all proceedings and maintains the Board's agenda.

Although the Board does not directly supervise county officers such as the District Attorney and Sheriff, it is responsible for oversight of all county business including managing the budget. The Board sets priorities for the county and oversees most county departments and programs. It also annually approves the budgets of county departments and controls all county property.

It is every citizen's responsibility to participate in our democratic form of government to some degree, even if it’s simply registering to vote in elections. It is important for everyone to communicate their ideas and concerns with elected representatives. However, in a metropolitan area it is often difficult to make your voice heard simply because of the larger size of the bureaucracy. In contrast, I find that one of the pleasant benefits of living in a sparsely populated rural county is how easy it is to interact with county government officials. We’re closer to having a direct input into decisions affecting the people of the county, such as road and highway maintenance, medical care and taxes. Unlike city living, elected county officials in the country generally do not exist in protected enclaves separate from the population. Here your district Supervisor is most likely your neighbor and you might bump into her at the grocery store on a regular basis!

With the power of the Internet, it is easy to find out who your elected officials are and how to contact them. Follow this link to a listing of Modoc County's elected representatives. We hope you've found this page helpful in identifying and communicating with elected county government officials. With this information, you should find it easier to participate in matters that effect the way you live. For a complete directory of county offices and Modoc county officials, visit our complete Modoc County government directory page.

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