The Dane County government operates entirely independently from the City of Madison. There is no city limit to the county border. Instead, Madison is just one of over 60 cities, towns, and villages nested inside the larger geographic boundary of [Dane County](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0ml25). [1, 2]
If you live in Madison, you are a resident of both the city and the county, meaning you vote in both elections, pay taxes to both entities, and are bound by both sets of laws.
## How the County Government is Run
Dane County uses a county executive-board system, which mirrors the "strong mayor-council" structure of the city but on a regional scale. [3, 4, 5]
* The Executive Branch (The County Executive): The [Dane County Executive](https://exec.danecounty.gov/) acts as the chief executive officer for the entire county. Elected countywide to a four-year term, the executive manages day-to-day county operations, appoints non-elected department heads, and drafts the multi-million dollar county budget. [3, 6, 7, 8, 9]
* The Legislative Branch (Board of Supervisors): The [Dane County Board of Supervisors](https://board.danecounty.gov/) is a 37-member legislative body. Supervisors are elected to two-year terms from single-member districts that divide up the county by population. They enact county ordinances, levy county property taxes, and approve budgets. [3, 4, 10, 11]
* Constitutional Officers: Unlike city governments, Wisconsin state law requires counties to independently elect several specific department heads. These include the County Sheriff, District Attorney, County Clerk, Treasurer, and Register of Deeds. [3, 12]
## How City and County Borders Interact
* Overlapping Jurisdictions: The physical city limits of Madison do not stop the county's authority. County laws and services still apply inside the city. However, to avoid duplicating work, they divide their responsibilities. For example, Madison Police handle city dispatch, while the Dane County Sheriff manages the county jail and patrols unincorporated highways. [13]
* Extraterritorial Powers: While Madison has its own strict zoning boundaries, Wisconsin law grants the city "extraterritorial jurisdiction" extending up to three miles beyond its city limits into neighboring towns. This allows the city and county to cooperatively plan out how regional land is developed before it is officially annexed into the city. [14]
## Who is in Charge of What?
Because the jurisdictions overlap, it helps to see how they split up public services:
| Service / Infrastructure [12, 13] | Who Manages It? |
|---|---|
| Local Roads & Metro Transit | City of Madison |
| Elections & Property Assessments | Both (City handles local voting; County coordinates overall results) |
| Public Health | Jointly operated (Public Health Madison & Dane County) |
| Jail, Courthouse, & Elections | Dane County Government[](https://www.danecounty.gov/government) |
| Dane County Regional Airport[](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/04y0v7) | Dane County Government[](https://madison.citycast.fm/local-civics/understanding-dane-county-government) |
| Henry Vilas Zoo[](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/05v3qc) & Alliant Energy Center | Dane County Government |
[1] [https://teamdane.com](https://teamdane.com/Why-Dane/Culture)
[2] [https://madison.citycast.fm](https://madison.citycast.fm/local-civics/understanding-dane-county-government)
[3] [https://slavinmanagementconsultants.com](http://slavinmanagementconsultants.com/PDFs/dane.pdf)
[4] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_County,_Wisconsin)
[5] [https://madison.citycast.fm](https://madison.citycast.fm/local-civics/understanding-dane-county-government)
[7] [https://board.danecounty.gov](https://board.danecounty.gov/documents/Dane-County-Overview-UPDATED-5-31.pdf)
[8] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_County,_Wisconsin)
[9] [https://www.facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/DaneCountyBoard/photos/county-government-101-what-does-the-county-board-do-the-dane-county-board-of-sup/1282434270596945/)
[11] [https://www.facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/DaneCountyBoard/photos/county-government-101-what-does-the-county-board-do-the-dane-county-board-of-sup/1282434270596945/)
[12] [https://www.danecounty.gov](https://www.danecounty.gov/government)
[13] [https://madison.citycast.fm](https://madison.citycast.fm/local-civics/understanding-dane-county-government)
[14] [https://board.danecounty.gov](https://board.danecounty.gov/documents/pdf/reports/webcopy-landuse.pdf)
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