The County is organized under the traditional form of County government. Under this form, the locality is directed by a nine-member Board of Supervisors, all of whom are elected by district within the County for four-year terms. The Board has overall administrative and legislative responsibilities including levying County taxes, appropriating funds, approving and enforcing the County’s Comprehensive Plan governing land use, making and enforcing ordinances and establishing policies and procedures for the administration of the County. A Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elected by the Board on an annual basis from among the members of the Board.

The County Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Board and is the County’s chief administrative officer, primarily supervising the management of the various government departments of the County on a day-to-day basis. Currently, the County Administrator is assisted by staff that provide the following services under the Administrator's direction: financial, accounting, planning and zoning, wetlands program management, building codes enforcement, buildings and grounds, assessment, public safety, recreation and airport management. In addition to the Board of Supervisors, other elected officials include the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Treasurer, Commissioner of Revenue, Commonwealth’s Attorney and Sheriff.

The County provides a full range of public services characteristic of its form of government, including law enforcement, parks and recreation, libraries, health, social services, public education in grades kindergarten through twelve, adult incarceration and juvenile detention, mental health services, and judicial services many of which receive partial funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia and are administered by independent or regional agencies or Constitutional officers. Currently, total County employment, exclusive of public school employees, is approximately 300 full-time equivalent employees.