What are counties and why were they established?
Counties, in their infancy, were organized to be administrative agencies of the state as well as local governments. Traditionally, counties performed state mandated duties which included assessment of property, record keeping (i.e. propoerty and vital statistics), maintenance of rural roads, administration of election and judicial functions, maintaining peace in rural areas, and poor relief. The Minnesota county structural model is similar to those found in Wisconsin, Ohio, New York and many other states. There are 87 counites in Minnesota.
