The County Sheriff is an elected official who acts as the chief law enforcement officer in their county. They are tasked with operating the county jails, keeping courtrooms secure during trials, and keeping the public safe through proper law enforcement. Each Sheriff's Office in Georgia may look a little different in how they hire and run their teams, but all County Sheriffs have the same duties. These duties include the following:

- Operating the county jail
- Providing court security
- Serving civil papers
- Executing arrest warrants
- Providing primary law enforcement within unincorporated areas of the county
- Working with city law enforcement officers to keep municipalities safe

The County Sheriff and their office are unique to other law enforcement agencies in that it has to answer to the people it serves. Historically, a turnover in the Sheriff’s office will likely result in noticeable change within the office, so voting for this office is a very effective way to vote approval or disapproval for how county law enforcement is conducted.

The chief law enforcement officer in the county

Lanier

Georgia

2024 Georgia General Elections

2024 Georgia General Election Runoff

Public Safety

Jail Management

Criminal Justice

County Sheriff

The Superior Court Clerk is the official record keeper and legal administrator of the county, as they are responsible for receiving and maintaining criminal and civil court filings. They also manage the county’s land and property records. Their duties are numerous and include administrative tasks, like accounting and administering oaths, and judicial, like maintaining legal records. They can also potentially fill in for other roles, such as State Court Clerk and Passport Acceptance Agents.

Official record keeper and administrator of the county

Budget

Judicial Administration

Clerk of Superior Court

- The County Coroner runs the Coroner’s Office, which is responsible for determining the cause, manner, and circumstance of death under the Georgia Death Investigation Act.  
- Deaths that they are responsible for investigating include violent deaths, suicides, sudden deaths, deaths unattended by a physician, suspicious deaths, deaths of children younger than seven years old, executions, deaths of inmates, and deaths of people admitted to a hospital unconscious. 
- The Coroner is responsible for pronouncing someone dead, and for releasing remains to be cremated, transported to another state, or autopsied. 
- All Georgia Coroners are required to attend a 40 hour course at the Georgia State Patrol Training Center and receive 24 hours of in services training on death investigation procedures each year. 
- Coroners are elected to four year terms in nonpartisan elections. 

The chief medical examiner for the county

Public Health

Coroner

- County Commission Chairs oversee the Board of County Commissioners, which create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- The County Commission Chair is specifically responsible for preparing the county budget, which must be passed by the rest of the County Commissioners. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commission Chairs have additional executive duties including coordinating with the office of the Mayor for your county, appointing Commissioners to committees, and representing your county at official functions.
- County Commission Chairs are elected to 4-year terms in county-wide elections.

Acts as the head of your county's governing board.

Policing

Quality of Roads

Public Services

Economy

Education

Housing & Urban Development

Transportation & Infrastructure

County Commission Chair

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- In addition to the typical responsibilities of a Board of Education Member, Board of Education Chairs also oversee meetings, moderate board panels, and make sure progress is made toward the Board’s overall goals.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Head of the board that governs your county's public school system

Taxes

College & Career Readiness

School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Board of Education Chair

Tax Commissioners are elected at the county level, and their job is to oversee most phases of the taxing process. These responsibilities include billing, collecting, processing, and distributing taxes. They are generally in charge of property taxes, solid waste fees, public utilities, and renewing your vehicle tag. Notably, the Tax Commissioner does not determine how much taxes you pay. Because taxes are a source of revenue for counties, the tax commissioners’ work is ultimately beneficial to individual cities, education, transportation, and other local services. In addition to administering tax laws, the department is responsible for enforcing laws and  regulations pertaining to the control of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in Georgia as well as motor vehicle license plate and title administration.

Oversees the taxing process in the county

Administration

Tax Commissioner

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay in property and sales taxes, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms in staggered years. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.

Creates new laws and passes the budget for your county

Public Transportation

Energy & the Environment

County Commissioner

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Part of the board that governs your county's public school system

Teacher Pay

County Board of Education Member

- The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission was established in the 1930s after the Georgia Dust Bowl. 
- The Commission is in charge of conserving, improving, and protecting Georgia's natural resources, with a focus on soil and water. They run water quality improvement projects, operate and maintain dams, and conduct inspections anytime someone needs to conduct any land-disturbing activities.
- District Supervisors are responsible for providing local representation. District Supervisors work with the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to voice their local county needs.
- District Supervisors hold monthly meetings in their counties where citizens can give input on local resource priorities from state and federal assistance programs. 
- Each county is represented by at least two district supervisors, one appointed and one elected. SWCD Managers are unpaid. 

2024 Georgia candidates

Lanier County Sheriff

2 candidates

Lanier Clerk of Superior Court

1 candidate

Lanier Coroner

1 candidate

Lanier County Commission Chair

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier Board of Education Chair

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier Tax Commissioner

1 candidate

Lanier County Commissioner, District 3

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier County Commissioner, District 4

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier County Board of Education Member, District 2

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor

1 candidate