Collin County, like all 254 counties in Texas, is considered to be an extension of state government. The focus of county government is judicial (civil and criminal justice, adult and juvenile probation), health and human services, law enforcement and jail services.

In addition, the county is also responsible for road and bridge maintenance in unincorporated areas, maintaining public records, collecting property taxes, issuing vehicle registrations and transfers, and registering voters.

The county also provides law enforcement for unincorporated areas, conducts elections, and provides health and social services to indigent county residents.

With an estimated 88 people moving into Collin County each day, the population here has grown to about 725,000 residents - and will reach an estimated 1.2 million by 2030. Because of this growth, county leaders are continually working on expanding the infrastructure.

The county tax rate is currently at 24.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. Since 1998, the tax rate held steady at 25 cents. Before that, the rate was 26 cents. Collin County's bond rating has maintained a AAA-status since 2000 and is one of only four counties in the state to have this exceptional rating.

The county's governing body, the Commissioners Court, is comprised of a county judge, who is elected at large, and four commissioners elected from equal precincts based on population. This body conducts the general business of the county and oversees financial matters. In addition to the Commissioners Court, there are another 29 elected officials in Collin County government:

Collin County Commissioners Court

The Collin County Commissioners Court governs an area known as administrative services. Within administrative services, there are a number of departments such as public works, health care services, facilities, budget and human resources.

A new county courthouse will open in the fall of 2007. The courts facility, located in the county seat of McKinney, will house the district courts, district attorney's office, county library, district clerk and additional services. The facility was approved by voters through a bond election in 2003. In addition to the court's facility, there are more than a dozen county facilities that serve the public. The University Drive Courts Facility, also located in McKinney, is home to the tax assessor-collector's office, the county court-at-law courts, and several additional departments. Administrative offices are located in McKinney, as is the justice center, jail, public works, animal services and health care services.

In county government, Health Care Services provides indigent health care for qualifying recipients, vaccination programs, the Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) program and epidemiological services. During the past year, the health department, located in McKinney, provided more than 19-thousand vaccinations to children and nearly 5,500 flu immunizations. The health department also has a travel immunization program in which residents planning trips abroad can receive full vaccinations. More than 3,500 people sought this service during the past year. People seeking additional information regarding health care services can visit the Health Care Services website or call the department directly at 972-548-5532.

The Animal Services Department was created in 2006. The facility shelters all lost/stray pets from McKinney, Frisco, Anna and Farmersville. Each of these cities provides their own animal control services. Please contact your city directly for animal control service information and requests. Collin County Animal Services performs all animal control duties as well as sheltering all lost/stray pets from all unincorporated areas of Collin County, and the cities of Celina, Prosper, Princeton, Fairview, New Hope, Melissa, Nevada, Lavon, and Blue Ridge.

Tax Assessor and Collector

With three offices across the county, the Tax Assessor and Collector oversees property tax statements and payments. The office also handles all motor vehicle fees on behalf of the state -- such as registration, renewals stickers and license plates.

Residents can also tap online forms, such as the Homestead Exemption, and get answers to property tax-related issues from the Tax Assessor and Collector's pages on the county's website.

County Clerk

The County Clerk records the proceedings for the county courts through the County Court at Law Clerks branch office. The County Clerk also maintains a wide variety of legal and vital records that include: Marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, land records, power of attorney filings, bonds, plats, marks and cattle brands, assumed names and beer and wine sales permit applications.

District Clerk

The main function of the District Clerk office is to keep and protect judicial records of the eight District Courts in Collin County. The District Clerk also oversees the accounting and disbursement of all child support payments ordered by the district courts, manages a passport office in Plano, and watches over Jury Information Services for the various county courts.

District Attorney

The Criminal District Attorney for Collin County represents the citizens of Texas in prosecuting those charged with misdemeanor and felony crimes, and acts as legal counsel for county government. With more than 50 attorneys, two dozen investigators and about 40 support staff, the office works in cooperation with more than 30 law enforcement agencies in their role of seeking justice for state crimes committed in the county.

In 2006, the D.A.'s office began a pre-indictment plea program and started a drug-testing lab program for cases in misdemeanor and felony courts. D.A. investigators also oversee a hot-check division to help recover money for area merchants and have established an impressive track record in helping local law enforcement re-open unsolved crimes that have lain dormant for years due to lack of evidence.

The Court System

Collin County currently has eight state District Courts, seven of which oversee general jurisdictional matters - criminal, civil and family law matters. The eighth court, formed in the last two years, focuses solely on juvenile civil and criminal issues. All of these courts are expected to move to a new facility in September 2007.

Six County Courts at Law watch over misdemeanor criminal cases and some civil cases, appeals of Class-C misdemeanor convictions, and mental health cases. A separate court exclusively handles probate issues.

Another five Justices of the Peace, spread out in sub-courthouses across the county, hold court on issues such as hot checks, truancy, peace bonds, and some traffic violations. They also conduct various magistrate functions including search and arrest warrants, arraignments and examining trials to decide if a criminal suspect should be held on bond until a grand jury votes on a criminal indictment.

County Sheriff

The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for the county and is responsible for running the jail, patrolling unincorporated areas and investigating crimes committed in those areas. The Sheriff also keeps a tactical team trained and ready for high-risk situations, narcotics raids and hostage situations, and provides bailiffs for the district and county courts at law.

Constables

Four elected Constables and their staffs serve as the chief process servers and bailiffs for the Justices of the Peace courts. Constables execute and return to the courts all warrants, capias warrants, citations, subpoenas, evictions, and writs.

Besides the 34 elected officials and their duties, four more appointed officials and their department have an impact on those who live and work in Collin County.

Medical Examiner

The Medical Examiner's Office investigates more than 1,600 deaths and performs more than 200 autopsies a year to determine the cause and manner of death of individuals in certain situations, such as suicides and suspected homicides. The office frequently collects evidence in its investigations that are used later in criminal prosecutions, but is also called in when someone dies alone or dies for an unknown reason.

Homeland Security

The Homeland Security department is one of the newest in the county and is responsible for directing and coordinating responses to disasters and emergencies, and to help assess any threat of terrorism within the county, including bioterrorism.

Fire Marshal

The Fire Marshal serves as an advisor, inspector and educator on preventing fires in homes and businesses within the county's boundaries. In addition to fire prevention duties, the office investigates illegal dump sites and addresses nuisance abatement issues.

Elections Administrator

The Elections Administrator oversees voter registration and manages election tallies at various precincts within the county.

GIS/Rural Addressing

The GIS/Rural Addressing department develops and modifies a geographic database that produces maps, assigns rural emergency 911 street addresses, and performs spatial analyses of one of the state's fastest growing counties.

Other guides for county services and programs:
Online Services
Collin County History
Newcomer's Guide to Collin County