Sierra County, Verona
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Sierra County, officially the County of Sierra (Cartadanian: Comarca de Sierra), is a county located in northeastern Verona and covers an area of 19,325.6 square kilometers (7,461.7 sq mi). It is the second-largest county in Verona, after Prince Lucás County, and is bordered by four other counties, namely Lynnhaven County to the northwest, Victoria County to the west, Andina County to the southwest, and Santa Rosa County to the south. Sierra County is the most populous county in both Verona and Cartadania, with an estimated population of 15,716,939. The county is also among the top counties in Cartadania in terms of median family income, ranking 8th in Verona. The county's economy is diverse, with significant contributions from industries such as technology, healthcare, and finance. Agriculture is also an important sector in the county, with crops such as almonds, walnuts, and peaches being major products, grown mostly in the southern portions of the county.
Sierra County | |
|---|---|
| Comarca de Sierra | |
From top down, left to right: Downtown Sierra; Sierra County Superior Court; Old Republic Gardens; Sierra Beachfront; Bridgeland-Miramar Canal; Eastern Verona Medical Center; and the Rio Azulejo near Vermillion Park | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo of Sierra County | |
 | |
| Country |  Cartadania |
| State |  Verona
|
| Region | Northeast Verona |
| Metro area | Palm Coast |
| Formed | 2 November 1630 |
| County seat | Sierra |
| Largest city | Sierra |
| Incorporated cities | 31 |
| Government | |
| • Body | Board of Supervisors |
| • Chair | Remon Najara (SDP) |
| • Chair Pro Tem | Gaspar Banbela (SDP) |
| • Board of Supervisors | |
| • Chief Executive Officer | Garaçia Vegil |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19,325.6 km2 (7,461.7 sq mi) |
| • Land | 19,172.2 km2 (7,402.4 sq mi) |
| • Water | 153.4 km2 (59.2 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 2nd |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 15,716,939 |
| • Density | 810/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
| Area code(s) | 213/326/804, 770, 932 |
| Website | Sierra County Website |
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The county is home to the city of Sierra, which is also the county seat. Sierra is the largest city in the state, with a population of over 8 million people. It is a major economic and cultural center, with a thriving arts and music scene. It is also home to several prestigious universities, including the University of Verona, Sierra, Verona Commonwealth University, Oceanview, and Verona Commonwealth University, Sierra. Sierra County boasts a diverse landscape, with the foothills of the Serra Affiada mountain range dominating the western part of the county. The center-western and southern part of the county is characterized by rolling hills and fertile valleys, while the eastern parts are more low-lying savanna.
History
Sierra County has a long history as one of the original counties of Verona, dating back to its establishment in 1630 at the time of Verona's statehood. Its early boundaries encompassed a vast swath of northeastern Verona, including what are now Andina, Lynnhaven, Santa Rosa, and Victoria Counties. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, however, Sierra County underwent a series of boundary changes, resulting in the creation of the aforementioned counties. This period of change was not unique to Sierra County, as many other counties across the state, such as Richland County, also experienced similar shifts during this time.
Sierra County's area was 191 percent larger in 1689 than it is today, covering the entire modern-day Palm Coast metropolitan area. Lynnhaven County was the first county to be separated from Sierra County sixty years after statehood in 1690. As the population continued to grow, further sections were split off to form portions of Victoria County in 1878 and Andina County in 1894, as well as to organize Santa Rosa County in 1901. Despite these boundary changes, Sierra County remains the second-largest county in Verona
Sierra County, along with the other original counties of Verona, was divided into smaller administrative divisions called prefectures. These prefectures were often composed of multiple old communities, which eventually merged to form modern-day municipalities such as Sierra and other cities within the county. This system of prefectures persisted until 1701, eleven years after parts of Cerana and Terralagoa Prefectures were split to form Lynnhaven County. The prefectures were Adira Prefecture, Agoura Prefecture, Alvaria Prefecture, Arvotta Prefecture, Cerana Prefecture, Dominion Prefecture, Esteza Prefecture, Terralagoa Prefecture, Mirada Prefecture, Saratoga Prefecture, Sierra Prefecture, Torino Prefecture, Valdesan Prefecture, Vetera Prefecture, Westwood Prefecture. Some municipalities currently incorporated within Sierra County have borrowed the names of the historical prefectures, even though they may not have been part of the eponymous prefecture.
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
Adjacent counties
National protected area
Economy
Top employers
Demographics
Government and infrastructure
Education
Sierra County is home to numerous school district–32 to be exact, of which, Sierra Independent School District is not only the largest in the county, but also the Commonwealth of Verona and Cartadania as well. It enrolls over 800,000 students and serves the city of Sierra, as well as all of the cities of Adria, Agoura Hills, Aquia, Del Amo, Duarte, Giraçao, Hermosa, Malibu, Tarisa, Vicara, while serving portions of Mirada (specifically those northwest of Sierra Creek).
The county is home to numerous institutions of higher learning, and there are three major public universities located within the county lines: Verona Commonwealth University, Sierra (VCU Sierra), Verona Commonwealth University, Oceanview (VCU Oceanview), and the University of Verona, Sierra (UVA Sierra).
Private colleges include the Cartadanian Film Institute, Kaur Institute, Cartadanian Academy of Dramatic Arts (Sierra Campus), Chanel University of Medicine and Science, Sierra Film School, Louis Hertford University (LHU is also the parent university of Hertford Law School located in Sierra), Luson College, Luson College of Art and Design (OCAD), Northern Verona Institute of Architecture (NVI-Arc), North Verona Law School, Verona Northern University (VNU), and Woodside University.
The community college system consists of twenty-nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Sierra Community College District, including East Sierra College (ESC), Sierra City College (SCC), Sierra Harbor College, Sierra Mission College, Sierra Pierce College, Torino College, Sierra Southwest College, Sierra Trade-Technical College and West Sierra College. They are commonly referred to by campus number (e.g., Torino College as SCC 21).
The Verona Institute of Technology has its primary campus in La Joya where it serves as the anchor for the Palm Coast Tech Center.
Transportation
The Palm Coast Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO or PCMTA) is the metropolitan transit authority for Sierra County as well as the entirety of the Palm Coast metro area. It operates the bus, light rail, and metrorail systems within the county and is an arm of the Palm Coast Consortium of Metropolitan County Governments. It has the largest transit fleet in Verona.
PCMTA also operates all of the major airports in the area via the Palm Coast Airport Authority (except Rosslyn International Airport, which is maintained by the city), including Sierra International Airport, the busiest airport in northern Sarpedon, which sits in an unincorporated section of the county between the cities of Mirada and Sierra.