All 254 counties have four precincts, and the Commissioners are elected by the voters within the geographic boundaries of each precinct. The four Commissioners and the County Judge make up the Commissioners Court, which is the governing body of the county. County Commissioners are often associated with county roads.
In Texas, there are two general terms for county road systems: the precinct system and the unit system.
Precinct System
The majority of Texas counties use the precinct system, in which the Commissioners are responsible for the maintenance of county roads and bridges and related decisions. In the precinct system, the four Commissioners are continually examining their roads and bridges, scheduling preventive maintenance, and overseeing repairs. These Commissioners are also responsible for mitigating the effects of drainage and erosion.
When disasters strike, Commissioners in the precinct system are responsible for removing debris and repairing roads and bridges to ensure constituents can once again navigate these surfaces.
Commissioners work with various vendors to find the best possible products to help maintain road infrastructure and to supply equipment and products to construct new roads and bridges when necessary.
Advanced planning is key when it comes to making sure county roads are properly maintained and continually safe for travel.
Unit System
Switching to the unit system requires a petition and an election.
Under the unit system, all road and bridge construction and maintenance is overseen by a county engineer or road administrator, who manages the roads from a countywide perspective. While the Commissioners Court maintains general policymaking authority, the county engineer or road administrator is the executive officer over the roads, meaning he or she makes key decisions including hiring and firing.
Both the precinct system and the unit system work within a purchasing framework that includes local bidding and state contracts. The money for needed items is placed in the budget during the budget process, and all purchases must go through Commissioners Court for approval.
In summary, Commissioners within the precinct system individually manage the roads and bridges within their precinct boundaries. In the unit system, roads and bridges are managed based on the county needs as a whole.
Regardless of the system used, road and bridge maintenance is an important part of providing for our citizens and making sure they are taken care of properly.