ABSTRACT
The view of county governments as administrative arms of state government is also related to the limited political discretion afforded county officials in many states Diversity in the states' orientations toward local administrative discretion and local participation in policy making is also evident in the nature of state mandates. In England, county governments were created to provide regional representation for the Crown, with sheriffs responsible for collecting taxes, adjudicating disputes among residents and between residents and the Crown, and enforcing the laws of the Crown. County governments are developing new roles as home rule charters and legislative acts have expanded their authority and responsibility as local governments since World War II. The utility of county government as an administrative arm of state government can also be seen in the organization of California's State Emergency Management System. To facilitate communication among the local operational area and regional and state disaster agencies, the state developed the Operational Area Satellite Information System.
