What is a county Road Commission?

County road commissions were organized by Act 283 by the Michigan Legislature in 1909 to achieve two primary goals:

Provide uniformity in road construction and maintenance across the state, and
Provide cost-efficient and high-quality road services for local roads
There are 82 county road commissions in Michigan. County road commissions are not part of general county government, except Wayne County, which has a public works department instead of a road commission. They are legally separate entities, receiving nearly all of their operating funds directly from the state.

Every county road commission has a three-member board of commissioners that is either appointed by the County Board of Commissioners or elected by the voters, depending on the number of townships in a county. A county with more than 12 townships may choose, through their county board, to have appointed Commissioners. Both appointed and elected commissioners serve six-year terms. Commissioners have staggered terms, so that every even year, a commissioner is up for reelection or reappointment.

Road commissions hold regular board meetings at least once a month (some counties meet as often as weekly). The public is invited and encouraged to attend these meetings. In addition, frequent public hearings are scheduled to communicate with county residents on a variety of road and safety issues.

Road commissions employ nearly 7,000 regular and temporary workers across the state. County road commissions have a strong commitment to employing professionals with the highest qualifications in their industry.