Named after President James, Monroe, Monroe County (PA) was created on April 1, 1836. Located in eastern Pennsylvania and situated 90 miles north of Philadelphia, 75 miles west of New York and 116 miles east of Harrisburg, the County stretches across 611 square miles inclusive of rural terrain, rolling hills, lakes, farmlands to more populated suburban boroughs. Monroe County consists of 16 townships and 4 boroughs. The southern boundary of the county - the ridge of the Blue Mountain; to the East - the Delaware River; and to the West - the Lehigh River forms its natural borders. The chief governing body within Monroe County is a three-member board of county commissioners. There are also numerous other elected officials to a large extent independent of the county commissioners. These include the sheriff, district attorney, prothonotary, clerk of courts, register of wills, coroner, and recorder of deeds. Additionally, there are the elective offices of the controller and treasurer who are county finance officers. The public defender is appointed as provided by law. The county commissioners, the elected officers and the county court individually or jointly appoint a number of other county officials and employees needed to carry out county functions by law. The county commissioners have an excellent vision for the county, which is described in Monroe 2030, a cohesive plan of action for Monroe County. Its approach is structured to bring together people from every corner and every walk of life to prepare Monroe County for the new millennium. To learn more about the Monroe County, PA visit: http://www.monroecountypa.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/NewAboutUs.pdf