Sometimes referred to as Wisconsin’s “invisible governments,” counties are little understood and often overlooked. Yet counties, which predate Wisconsin statehood, provide cradle-to-grave services that state government would otherwise have to provide through its own agencies. The county-state relationship is thus marked by tensions between their status as independent bodies and as arms of the state.
Counties are often referred to as the “invisible governments” of Wisconsin. While residents may know what the state, cities, villages, towns, and school districts do, county government and its functions are harder to pin down.
Part of the reason is because county roles, responsibilities, and organization differ greatly by state.
In some states, counties are regional governments providing basic services such as policing, fire protection, and mass transit.
Counties in Wisconsin serve as arms of the state, providing cradle-to-grave services, from issuing birth certificates to performing autopsies. They operate public health programs, provide care for the elderly and disabled, run jails, and plow state highways. If counties did not provide these services, the state would have to do so itself.
Given their impact, it is worth taking a look at what counties do, how they are run, and how they are funded.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Counties predate Wisconsin statehood. In 1818, three counties (Brown, Crawford, and Michilimackinac) were created to aid in local administration of what was then the Michigan Territory.
By the 1830s, the separate Wisconsin Territory was established, and the number of counties grew with statehood in 1848. By 1901, there were 71 counties. In 1961, the state created Menominee County out of the Menominee Indian reservation, which previously had been part of Oconto and Shawano counties, resulting in the current total of 72.