So … explain to me what a county judge in Texas actually is

Roast away while you do it.

I moved here less than a year ago. Where I moved from judges were elected or appointed and served as presiding court officials over civil and criminal court cases.

They aren’t in the news unless someone is upset about a ruling they made in court and the community I’m from in particular is small enough that I know one by her first name and could say hi at the grocery store.

Here you have this “judge” who seems to set policy and direct governmental departments to do or not do certain things. If I didn’t know her title was “Judge”, I’d assume she was the president of the county commission or something.

So … Texas just HAS to be extra special, I know, but what is the function, duty and scope of authority in a county judge?