We, the citizens of Snohomish County, in order to secure the benefits of home rule; encourage citizen participation in county government; separate the executive and legislative powers; provide for a responsible and responsive county government, do hereby adopt this charter.

An understanding of the roles and functions of local government is essential if citizens are to participate effectively in governing their community. This brochure is designed to provide a basic understanding of the many and diverse responsibilities of Snohomish County government.

County government is one of many forms of local government found within Washington. Other local government entities include cities and towns, and school, hospital, utility, port, fire, water, sewer, park, drainage and diking districts. Within Snohomish County there are also three sovereign Native American Tribal governments: the Tulalip Tribes (Marysville), the Stillaguamish Tribe (Arlington) and the Sauk-Suiattle (Darrington).

County government implements state laws on the local level, and provides both regional and local services. Regional countywide services include prosecution, courts, jails, medical examiner services, voter registration, elections, recording, licensing, property assessment, tax collection, and coordination of human services and veterans assistance programs. The county also maintains regional facilities such as parks, the fairgrounds and the county airport. Local services provided in the unincorporated areas include police, roads, storm water control, and building/development regulation.

Recent county budgets reflect four major areas of county focus—Public Safety, Human Services, County Development and Infrastructure, and Administrative and Governmental Programs.

The Snohomish County Charter assigns administrative duties to the elected County Executive, legislative responsibilities to the five elected County Council members, and judicial functions to elected Superior and District Court judges. In addition, state law and the county charter provide for six independent elected officials with departmental responsibilities—Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Prosecutor, Sheriff and Treasurer.