Real local governance happens at the town level, not the county level. Towns are run by an elected selectboard, and most hold an annual town meeting (commonly in March) where residents vote directly on budgets and bylaws; the town clerk keeps records and runs elections. Vermont's counties have no legislative body, no executive, and no independent taxing authority — they exist mainly for court administration and the sheriff's office. A resident wanting a public meeting or records should contact their town's selectboard or clerk, not a county office.

Most states structure local government as a small elected commission with combined legislative and executive power over county-wide services; Vermont instead leaves counties with no governing body at all, because day-to-day municipal government was built around towns and never delegated to a county layer.