The Road Commission is governed by a five-member board appointed by the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners. While appointed by the County Board of Commissioners, the Road Commission essentially operates independently of the County and is not a county department. Under the oversight of the Board, the Road Commission consists of six departments. Three departments plus general administration are in Administration - Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology. Three departments are in Operations - Engineering, Field Operations (Maintenance), and Fleet/Facilities. Total employment is 56 employees. 

Administration

Administration includes Administration and Human Resources (three employees), Finance (one employee), and Information Technology (two employees). These sections oversee the business functions of policymaking, budget, account receivables/payables, employment, bargaining units, workers compensation and safety, employee benefits, community relations, and technology. The administration consists of six employees.

Operations

Engineering

The Engineering Department is responsible for providing engineering and technical services for road operations, preventative maintenance projects, and improvement projects on the county road system. It is comprised of four sections: Project Management/Development, Construction Testing & Inspection, Traffic, Safety and Permitting. Engineering has nine employees.

Field Operations (Maintenance)

The Field Operations(Maintenance) Department oversees the maintenance and upkeep of all county roads, as well as Michigan Department of Transportation's state trunk lines under a contract. In addition, Operations is responsible for two maintenance garages and over 100 pieces of road equipment. Operations consist of District Crews, Heavy Equipment Crew, Road Maintenance Crew, Tree Crew, Equipment/Maintenance Crew, Grounds & Facilities Crew, and the State Trunk Line Crew. Field Operations(Maintenance) has 35 employees.

Fleet and Facilities

The Road Commission conducts operations from two facilities located within the county. One facility is located in Garfield Township And the other is located in Paradise Township, just west of the Village of Kingsley. Two additional properties in Grand Township provide sand and gravel for operations and maintenance. Depending on the season, most of the fleet can be found at one of the two primary facilities or throughout the county.

The fleet consists of heavy equipment, light equipment, and small trucks/passenger vehicles used for maintaining and managing county roads as well as transporting staff working on county road improvement projects. During winter months, winter maintenance is provided throughout the county to maintain safe and efficient travel on state highway/trunk line, county primary, county secondary, and local roads which requires a substantial fleet of snow removal equipment/trucks. A fleet management plan is maintained to keep all vehicles and equipment in safe, reliable, and operational condition. Fleet and Facilities has six employees