The great majority of Michigan's 83 counties (80 of them) are run by an elected County Board of Commissioners that holds both legislative and executive authority — there's no separate elected county executive. A small number of populous counties (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Bay) have adopted an elected county-executive structure with a downsized board. For most Michigan residents, the county commissioners — and an appointed county administrator, where one exists — are the right point of contact for a public meeting or records request.