Your Government

Massachusetts Government: County Government

Originally, Massachusetts had 14 counties which were regional administrative districts before the Revolutionary War. Over time the counties administered jails, health facilities, agricultural schools, registries of deeds and probate, county courthouses, county roads and extension services. The counties were funded by local communities and the Commonwealth.
For many years, there was criticism of county government as wasteful and inefficient. There were recommendations to abolish all county governments and transfer most of their functions to state agencies and their assets (land and buildings) to the Commonwealth.

In 1997, the county governments of Middlesex, Berkshire, Essex, Hampden and Worcester were abolished and Suffolk in 1999. Their functions were turned over to state agencies. Sheriffs in these counties still administer jails but their employees are state employees. The legislation to abolish these county governments transferred Registries of Deeds to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.


Registers of Deeds and probate, sheriffs and district attorneys, even where county government has been abolished, are still elected in county political districts. In counties which have not been abolished or restructured, county commissioners and treasurers are still elected. It is important to understand that counties as geographical/political regions are not abolished or restructured; it is the government which is abolished/restructured. Though the counties still remain, some county governments in the Commonwealth have been "abolished", their offices being put under the direction of certain state offices. Example: the Registry of Deeds offices in abolished counties are now under the direction of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office; Sheriffs and jails are under the Secretary of Public Safety.

Home rule legislation allows officials or voters in a county to establish a regional charter commission to study its government. The commission can submit one of three model charters for approval of voters in that county at a statewide election or it can submit a special charter which must first be approved by the state legislature.

Cities and towns may choose a Regional Council of Government charter which will be binding on those communities where a majority of voters in a city or town approve it. The regional council of governments can provide a variety of services to cities and towns, such as planning, public safety, engineering, water and waste disposal, and many other services. The participating communities pay assessments based on local property evaluation.

The legislature approved special charters to allow Franklin, Hampshire and Barnstable counties to become regional councils of government.

Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth county governments remain substantially unchanged.