Some counties are responsible for the administration of social services programs like Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), re-entry programs, environmental programs, and other state mandated programs. Counties often determine which organizations to grant contracts to provide these services. Other county level elected officials can include clerk, supervisor of elections, recorder, tax assessor, among others.
*Note while most states have county level government– in Louisiana, they are “parishes” and in Alaska, they are “boroughs. Connecticut and Rhode Island don’t have functioning county governments.