County Road Commissions were organized by Act 283 by the Michigan Legislature in 1909 to achieve two primary goals: To provide uniformity in road construction and maintenance across the state; and to 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 that is either appointed by the county board of commissioners or elected by the voters.

The county board of commissioners decides how the road commission board members are chosen, depending on what method is deemed to be in the best interest of the county.

The road commissioners serve staggered six-year terms so that every two years, one commissioner’s term expires.

Road commissions hold regular board meetings at least once a month. 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.

County road commissions have a variety of responsibilities including, but not always limited to, maintaining almost 90,000 miles of roads, 365 days a year. Some of the many county road commission duties include the following:

• Ensuring steady and safe traffic patterns
• Gravel road upkeep
• Road and bridge construction, repair and maintenance
• Snow removal, salting and sanding
• Surface treatments and chip/crack sealing
• Street painting and marking
• Maintaining road signage
• Controlling roadside vegetation, mowing and brush cutting
• Roadside ditch and drain preservation

State Law - Public Act 51 - specifically states that cities, villages, county road commissions and the Michigan Department of Transportation have jurisdiction over roads. That means those government agencies are responsible for building and maintaining the roads within their jurisdictions. They also carry the legal liability for those roads. Road commissions also work hard to maintain roads within their jurisdiction- and although drivers don’t always know who is responsible for the roads they drive on, they can be assured that county road commissions are taking the best care of the roads.

Townships do not have jurisdiction over roads and do not receive any funding directly from the state. Instead, county road commissions maintain roads in townships with road commission funds. This ensures that all roads are maintained efficiently and without financial burden to the township and ensures uniform service throughout the county. Some road improvements in township - bridge replacement, road widening, etc. - are federally funded. Townships often help provide a matching of funds for local road projects.

County road commissions regularly meet with the townships in their counties to help determine maintenance and construction priorities. Construction and maintenance projects are planned and coordinated with active input from township officials and residents.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contracts with approximately 65 county road commissions across the state to maintain 6,500 miles of state roads. Although county road commissions do the work, they operate under the specifications of MDOT.