St. Joseph County, Indiana

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. St. Joseph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The Census Bureau 2007 population estimate was 266,088. Formed in 1830, it was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it toward Lake Michigan. The county seat is South Bend. St. Joseph County is part of the South Bend Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code. County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.... Mehr