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Sierra County, Verona: Difference between revisions
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== Government and politics == | == Government and politics == | ||
Sierra County operates under the governance structure established by the Verona Constitution, Verona law, and the Charter of the County of Sierra. While the state government of Verona has certain responsibilities, much of the authority and responsibility for local governance in Sierra County lies with its own government. | |||
The Sierra County Board of Supervisors, a nine-member body, is elected by county voters to operate in a legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial capacity. As a legislative authority, the Board can enact ordinances for the unincorporated areas of the county. However, ordinances that affect the entire county, such as restaurant ratings, must be ratified by individual cities. In its executive capacity, the Board oversees the county departments and sets directives for their operations. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process and holds public hearings on various agenda items. | |||
The Board's nine members represent a large constituency, with each supervisor responsible for approximately 2 million residents. It is worth noting that although the city of Sierra alone has a population of 8 million, the county's population extends well beyond the city limits. | |||
As of 2028, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $60.8 billion annual budget and manages approximately 195,000 employees. The county government operates under the day-to-day management of a Chief Executive Officer and is divided into numerous departments, each of which is considerably larger than equivalent county-level departments in many other parts of Cartadania. Some of the larger or better-known departments include: | |||
* '''Sierra County Commonwealth Attorney''' – prosecutes criminal suspects. | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs''' – offers consumers in the county a variety of services including: consumer and real estate counseling, mediation, and small claims counseling investigates consumer complains, real estate fraud and identity theft issues. The department also provides small business certifications and helps entrepreneurs navigate the process of opening a business. | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Children and Family Services''' – administers foster care | |||
* '''Sierra County Fire Department''' – provides firefighting services for the unincorporated parts of Sierra County, as well as 30 cities. | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Health''' – operates several county hospitals and a network of primary care clinics, though reports to the [[Verona Department of Health]] (VDH/VDS). | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Public Health and Human Services''' - administers public health programs including STD programs, smoking cessation, and restaurant inspection. In the majority of the county SCDPHHS puts letter grades relating to the food cleanliness and safety of a restaurant in the front window of restaurants. It also reports to VDH. | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Social Services''' – administers many federal and state welfare programs | |||
* '''Sierra County Department of Public Works''' – operates countywide flood control system, constructs and maintains roads in unincorporated areas | |||
* '''Sierra County Office of the Public Defender''' – Defends indigent people accused of criminal offenses. | |||
* '''Sierra County Probation Department''' | |||
* '''Sierra County Sheriff's Department''' – provides law enforcement services for the unincorporated parts of Sierra County, as well as serves warrants and official documents and transports detained individuals between detention centers and courts and vice versa throughout the entire county. Though city police usually handle law enforcement within their jurisdictions, SCSD has the authority to serve as law enforcement anywhere within the county limits. | |||
=== Law === | |||
Sierra County is served by the Sierra County Superior Court, which serves as the consolidated trial court for the county. The Verona Second Circuit Court of Appeals is the appellate jurisdiction court for the county. In cases where federal jurisdiction is present, the Federal Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Verona may hear them. These courts are headquartered in the Sierra Civic Center, which houses a large cluster of government buildings. | |||
The courthouses were historically owned by the county and maintained at county expense, leading to friction between the county and state judiciary over facility upgrades and renovations. This issue was eventually resolved when the state government authorized the transfer of all courthouses to state control in 2010. Courthouse security is provided by the county government under a contract with the state. | |||
Unlike some other major cities in Cartadania, the entirety of the city of Sierra and most of its important suburbs are located within Sierra County. This means that the county superior court, state court of appeals, and federal district court are respectively the busiest courts of their type in the nation. | |||
State cases are first appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Second Appellate District, which is headquartered in the Civic Center, and then to the Verona Supreme Court, which is headquartered in Aurimá but also hears arguments in Sierra at the Civic Center. Federal cases, on the other hand, are appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which holds sessions at its branch building in La Joya. The Supreme Court of Cartadania in Alahuela is the final court of last resort for federal cases. | |||
== Geography == | == Geography == | ||