Elected Officials Glossary

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Branches of Federal Government

Executive

Responsible for enforcing laws passed by Congress, and is composed of the President, Vice President, and various departments and agencies in the Federal Government.

President

Head of state; Commander-in-Chief of the military; has the power to approve or veto (reject) any bills Congress passes.

Vice President

Head of the Senate; supports the president in their duties.

Legislative

Responsible for passing new laws, it is composed of two chambers - the House of Representatives and the Senate - and is responsible for representing the people of the United States.

Senator

The Senate approves appointments made by the president, signs treaties, and tries impeachment cases. Senators represent an entire state and their interests, attend committee meetings to discuss policy issues, and make public appearances to convey their message. Each state has two senators with 100 in total.

U.S. Representative

Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each Representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district in the federal government. Representatives introduce bills and resolutions with the responsibility of revenue, serve on committees, and can help their constituents receive federal benefits or services. The number of representatives per state is proportional to the state's population; there are 435 members in total.

Judicial

Responsible for interpreting the laws and ensuring they are applied fairly and consistently. It is comprised of the Supreme Court and the lower courts.

Branches of Minnesota State Government

Legislative

Propose, debate and vote on legislation and help set the state budget.

Senator

“Upper chamber” with 67 districts according to redistricting modeled after the census every 10 years. Senators typically serve 4-year terms.

Representative

State Representatives serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the state legislature. They write and vote on legislation to create, repeal, or change state laws affecting many issues, like health care, the environment, and the economy. They also vote on state taxes and state spending.

Executive

Carries out the laws set by the legislative branch.

Governor

The state’s chief executive who appoints heads of departments and agencies; proposes state budgets and signs (approve) or vetoes (reject) legislation. They also appoint judges to fill vacancies and issue pardons and reprieves and can shape public policy through legislative proposals and initiatives of state agencies.

Lieutenant Governor

Assumes the Governor’s responsibilities if there is an absence or vacancy and performs projects and other duties assigned by them. You vote for the Gov. and Lt. Gov. on the same ticket.

Secretary of State

Acts as the chief election official and oversees the enactment of election laws and training of county elections staff. They also certify official state documents and register businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Attorney General

Provides legal services to state agencies, boards and commissions and represents the state in court cases. The AG enforces laws on behalf of people and protects public rights relating to affordable housing, student loans, consumer protections and more.

State Auditor

Oversees expenditures by local governments, performs audits of their financial statements, and reviews documents, data, reports, and complaints reported to the Office.

Judicial

Interprets the laws. In contrast to the federal system (life terms, appointment by the President, and confirmation of the Senate), Minnesota judges serve six year terms and are subject to reelection after being appointed by the Governor, who selects them from a slate of candidates prepared by the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection after a vacancy caused by death, resignation, retirement, or nomination to a higher court.

Minnesota Supreme Court

7 justices that make final decisions on matters of state law that are binding on state and US federal courts. Generally, the state supreme court is used for hearing appeals of legal issues and does not hold trials.

Appeals Court

19 judges who oversee appeals and provide a prompt and deliberate review of all final decisions of the trial courts, state agencies, and local governments.

District Court

Almost three hundred judges around Minnesota oversee trials. They are appointed in one of 10 judicial districts, which each cover one or more counties.

County Government

Legislative

Board of Commissioners

The county's key policymakers who ensure that citizen concerns are met, federal and state requirements are fulfilled, and county operations run smoothly. County Commissioners oversee the administration of the county, set the county budget, and participate in county long-range planning. Services that they oversee include a wide variety of social service and welfare programs as well as certain public health programs and capital improvements.

Administrative Departments

Sheriff

The County Sheriff keeps peace and enforces laws to protect life and property. They respond to both emergency and non-emergency requests for law enforcement services and develop an effective, motivated workforce through education, training, and career opportunities. They also execute all processes, writs, precepts, and orders issued or made by lawful authority, attend upon the terms of the district court, and investigate recreational vehicle crashes involving personal injury or death that occur outside the boundaries of a municipality. Sheriffs maintain the charge and custody of the county jail and provide a secure and safe correctional facility with other law enforcement agencies.

Auditor-Treasurer

An elected position that acts as the County’s Chief Financial Officer, Property Tax Administrator, and Supervisor of Elections. They sit on various committees, councils, and boards as directed by the County Board and interact with the public, local governments, county departments and vendors, and state and federal agencies.

Recorder

The primary responsibility of the County Recorder is to accept and maintain a permanent public repository of real estate records. Types of documents in the repository include deeds, mortgages, contracts for deed, mortgage satisfactions, foreclosure records, probate documents, and easements.

Soil and Water Conservation

SWCDs are local units of government that manage and direct natural resource management programs. Districts work in both urban and rural settings, with landowners and with other units of government, to carry out actions for the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources. They are subject to state statutes and rules as a public body.

Judicial

County Attorney

Elected every four years, a County Attorney provides legal services in their county, prosecutes felony crimes and all cases involving juvenile offenders, and aids and gives support to the victims and witnesses who play a vital role in the criminal justice system. They also advise crime victims of their legal rights and status of their case including requesting restitution for losses suffered while starting legal proceedings to protect the health and safety of vulnerable adults within the county and bringing action to obtain or enforce child support obligations.

Municipal

Mayor

The mayor is the head of the city and may represent the city in front of other government bodies. They also can preside at council meetings and appoint city workers. A mayor usually has a role in proposing a city budget which influences services provided to residents and can veto ordinances proposed by the city council.

City Council Member

As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval. 

School Board Member

School board members oversee the care, management, and control of schools. This includes hiring, firing, and overseeing superintendents, who manage the day-to-day affairs of the district. They also set levies to fund the district and create school policies. 

Town Clerk

The Town Clerk keeps all of the town's records, such as minutes from meetings of the town supervisors. The Town Clerk also keeps copies of the town's laws and is often in charge of conducting the town's elections.

Town Supervisor

A town supervisor serves on the town board of supervisors. The board makes any decisions on behalf of the town. This includes entering into or awarding contracts, authorizing spending, or adopting ordinances and resolutions. 

Town Treasurer

The town treasurer is responsible for all administrative and management work involving receipt, expenditure, and custody of municipal funds, the investment and borrowing of money, the custody of tax title properties, and the collection of all money due to the Town. Position may involve collection, treasury, debt management, benefit administration, bookkeeping, human resource duties and filing mandate reports with various agencies. 

Hospital Board Member

A hospital district is authorized in Minnesota statute to acquire, improve, and run hospitals and nursing homes that the hospital district board decides are necessary to meet the health care needs of the community.