They also have other elected county officials to help perform important duties. Counties are required by law to provide certain services to their citizens. Each county has one or more judges who are elected to sit on the bench and hear criminal and civil court cases. Counties are closely involved in economic development and planning to improve our communities. The county may play a role in locating a new factory and creating jobs, repairing or replacing a bridge in a local municipality or planning for new transportation infrastructure.
Counties are also important in protecting the environment.
They are responsible for comprehensive land use planning, storm water management planning, and planning for the proper disposal of solid waste. The balance of Pennsylvania counties work cooperatively with the Pennsylvania Health Department on medical issues. Many counties have an emergency management agency responsible for the creation and implementation of plans to respond and recover from emergencies such as storms, floods, explosions or other didasters. They also plan for what to do if hazardous materials are spilled or released into the environment. Most counties also provide 911 emergency dispatch service to everyone in the county, making sure the police, ambulance or fire companies get to where they are needed.