The Government structure in Dearborn County Indiana is not too different than that of other cities across the country. The key difference is that primary jobs in most cities are elected positions in this rural part of Indiana. Some of the elected officials include County Clerk, and Coroner. In many other parts of the country these are hired personnel, and are working directly with county as county employees. The courts in this area are small as well, with only three main court houses for all nine cities and towns. This means that some residents have to travel a significant distance in order to get to a federal court house. The city of Aurora and Lawrenceburg have two of their own court houses, but these only handle local matters, and the judges that are elected have a different term criteria than that of the federal county judges. The judges for all court houses are also elected officials that are operating on staggered terms. This way only one new judge, if a replacement is elected, will see a chair in a given year. Some of the other positions that see a possible turnover is Sheriff, Surveyor, and Recorder. Again, these are positions that many cities view as employment and not elected officials, but the efficiency in which the county is run makes one wonder if this is not such a bad idea.
This is a unique featureas it requires elected officials to either complete their positions with absolute responsibility or face being voted out by the counties 46,000 plus population. The county also elects officials for councils, but meets the federal election criteria for positions such as senator or governor. The government structure is intended to ensure the best possible, and most responsible, actions in order to lead the county in the right direction. This has so far worked as planned as the county is thriving with businesses, andfamilies making Dearborn County their home.



