League of
Women Voters of the Upper ValleyLeague of
Women Voters of the Upper ValleyChapter 8: County Government in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, counties are intermediate units of government, not as close to the people as town government, but less distant than the State. Counties perform services which work best when designed to meet local needs, but which are too expensive or too difficult for the towns to provide.
The following information was taken from a Grafton County Legislator's handbook:
County government has an executive branch, consisting of three elected County commissioners who jointly serve as the County's chief executive, and four elected department heads: the County Attorney, the Sheriff, the Register of Deeds, and the Treasurer. County elections are held biennially during even-numbered years. Commissioners are elected from individual districts, while the other four officials are elected countywide.
The legislative branch of County government, consisting of all State Representatives from the County (27 in Grafton County) is called the County Legislative Delegation. The County Delegation adopts an annual County budget which raises revenues and appropriates funds for County departments and programs. For example, Grafton County had a budget of 16.2 million dollars for fiscal year 1997, with over 50 percent of revenues (8.1 million dollars) raised by property taxes. The Delegation elects an Executive Committee which meets with the Commissioners monthly to review the County's financial reports.
Counties were
originally organized to provide regional courts at convenient locations
throughout the State so that people would not have to travel to the
State Capital for court business. Since 1984, the State of New
Hampshire has funded a Unified Court System, but most counties maintain
courthouses which they rent to the state.
Grafton County is the second-largest of New Hampshire's ten counties, covering 1,747 square miles in the west central part of the state. The County is roughly rectangular in shape, running from Bristol in the Southeast and Lebanon in the Southwest, to Bethlehem and Littleton in the north. Grafton County ranks fifth in population with 77, 104 residents.
Consisting of 38 towns, one city (Lebanon) and one unincorporated area (Livermore, which is almost entirely National Forest), Grafton County is very much a rural County. There are fewer than 1,000 inhabitants in 21 of the towns, and one-third of the land is owned by the state ( e.g., Plymouth state college, Glencliff Home for the Elderly) or the federal government (i.e. the White Mountain National Forest.) With access to mountains, Lakes, and cultural centers, the County is a major tourist destination.
Hanover is part of Grafton County, one of ten counties in the state. The county seat is North Haverhill (near Woodsville), about 35 miles north of Hanover on Route 10, phone 603-787-6941.
North Haverhill is home to the Grafton County offices, courthouse, nursing home, department of corrections, and county farm. The two judges in the county court handle more serious offences than those handled in the district court, including felonies and large civil cases.
The Grafton County Courthouse, housing the Grafton County Superior and Probate Courts, is located on Route 10 in North Haverhill, next to the County Administration Building, County Nursing Home, County House of Corrections, and County Farm.
To reach your county officials, offices, and services call:
STATE AGENCIES LOCATED at the GRAFTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE:
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