County council facts for kids

A county council is a group of people chosen by voters to manage a county. They are an important part of how local areas are run. The exact meaning of "county council" can be a little different depending on the country.

What is a County Council?

County councils are a type of local government. This means they are responsible for providing important services to people living in a county. They often handle things like education, social care, roads, and waste management. They work alongside smaller local councils that might look after very specific, local needs.

County Councils in the UK

In the United Kingdom, county councils were created to modernize how local areas were managed. Before them, local governments didn't do as much. As local needs grew, a new system was needed to handle more services.

England and Wales Councils

In England and Wales, a county council is the main local government for a county. These councils were first set up in 1889. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1888. Before county councils, many jobs were done by an unelected group called the Quarter Sessions. The new councils took over these jobs, making local government more democratic.

Scotland and Ireland Councils

The idea of county councils soon spread. In Scotland, they were introduced by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. The system also came to the island of Ireland with the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It's interesting to note that in these places, the areas managed by the new councils, called "administrative counties," were not always the same as the older, traditional county areas.

County Councils in the USA

In the United States, most states have counties as a way to organize local government. In some states, like nine of them, these counties are led by a county council. However, in other states, counties might be led by different groups. These can be called a county commission or a county board of supervisors. No matter the name, their main job is to manage the county's affairs.

Images for kids

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  The building of the Changhua County Council