How Berks County government works
What the three Berks County commissioners do, what the row officers are, and what the county controls versus your township and school district.
Berks County government is run by a three-member Board of Commissioners plus a set of independently elected "row officers," and it spends about $690 million a year on courts, the jail, elections, human services, records, 911, parks, and a county-owned nursing home. Here is who does what, and which government to call for which problem.
The three commissioners
Commissioners are elected county-wide every four years; the next election is in 2027. Voters can pick at most two candidates and the top three win, a Pennsylvania rule that guarantees the minority party one of the three seats.
The current board:
- Christian Y. Leinbach (Republican), chair
- Michael S. Rivera (Republican), vice chair
- Dante Santoni Jr. (Democrat)
The commissioners set the budget and tax rate, award contracts, hire department leadership, and sit on the Election Board, Prison Board, and Retirement Board. They meet publicly most Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading. Day-to-day operations run through a chief operations officer, currently Kevin S. Barnhardt. If you want to be heard, here is how to speak at a meeting.
The row officers
Pennsylvania counties also elect independent officers who do not answer to the commissioners. In Berks:
- District Attorney prosecutes crimes.
- Sheriff handles court security, prisoner transport, warrants, gun permits, and sheriff's sales. Not the same as local police.
- Controller audits county spending and reviews every payment.
- Treasurer collects and safeguards county money and issues dog and hunting licenses.
- Coroner investigates sudden and suspicious deaths.
- Prothonotary keeps civil court records: lawsuits, judgments, name changes.
- Clerk of Courts keeps criminal court records.
- Recorder of Deeds records property deeds and mortgages.
- Register of Wills probates estates and issues marriage licenses.
Judges of the Court of Common Pleas and magisterial district judges are elected separately.
County vs. township vs. school district
Your property tax bill has three lines, and complaints often go to the wrong government.
- The county (9.013 mills in 2026) funds courts, the jail, elections, human services, deeds and records, 911, parks, and Berks Heim. For most homeowners it is the smallest line.
- Your municipality (Reading or one of the county's townships and boroughs) handles police, fire, local roads, trash, and zoning.
- Your school district is usually the largest line by far.
About 26 cents of every county dollar comes from property taxes. Most of the rest is state and federal grant money earmarked for specific programs, which is why commissioners cannot move jail money to parks at will. The full breakdown is in our report on where the $690 million goes.
Where decisions happen
- Thursday commissioners meetings: budget, contracts, policy. See our meeting coverage.
- Election Board: election administration and certification.
- Prison Board: oversees the jail system and the new-jail project.
- Planning Commission: advises on land use county-wide.
- Authorities: separate bodies such as the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, funded jointly with Chester and Montgomery counties to restore Reading-to-Philadelphia train service.
Quick facts
- Population: 428,849 (2020 Census), among Pennsylvania's ten largest counties
- County seat: Reading
- Founded: 1752
- Main address: Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Official site: berkspa.gov
FAQ
How many commissioners does Berks County have?
Three, elected at-large every four years: currently two Republicans (Christian Leinbach, Michael Rivera) and one Democrat (Dante Santoni Jr.). State law guarantees the minority party one seat.
When do the commissioners meet?
Most Thursdays at 10 a.m. at 633 Court Street, Reading, with an online option via Microsoft Teams. Check the county meetings page because holiday weeks are sometimes canceled.
What is the Berks County property tax rate?
9.013 mills in 2026, unchanged from 2025. That is about $901 a year on a property assessed at $100,000, and it is separate from municipal and school taxes.
When is the next commissioners election?
November 2027. County row officers also run in odd years; the November 2026 ballot carries state and federal races only.
Sources
The public records this story is reported from.