Williams County, ND elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Williams County: 9 seats on 5 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Williams County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Beau Anderson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Steve Kemp source
County Commissioner, District 3Cory Hanson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Chris Walstad source
County Commissioner, District 5Barry Ramberg sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorBeth M. Innis sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffVerlan Kvande sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyJaakan Williams sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Treasurer/RecorderPatti Ogurchak sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Williams County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 86 local governments in Williams County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (8 municipal, 52 township)600
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)200

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Williams County

39,555people
31.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$85,595 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$284,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
8.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.5%U.S.: 8.4%
29.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
16%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.2% · White 75.7% · Black 4.7% · Asian 1.2% · Other or more than one race 8.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Williams County

2.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.6%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
439people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
20,258people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
20,697in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Williams County 0.0%2.9%5.7%8.6%11.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.1%43920,25820,697
August 20262.5%51820,21620,734
July 20262.3%47420,24520,719
June 20262.9%60020,18820,788
May 20262.3%47820,10120,579
April 20262.7%54619,93120,477
March 20263.0%61719,77620,393
February 20263.3%65519,43720,092
January 20263.1%61519,42020,035
December 20252.6%53219,75920,291
November 20252.6%53819,86820,406
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.6%52920,14120,670
August 20252.9%60920,18220,791
July 20252.5%53320,41320,946
June 20253.1%66020,45721,117
May 20252.5%51020,14320,653
April 20252.6%53720,18120,718
March 20253.1%63619,81620,452
February 20253.0%62019,74620,366
January 20252.9%59719,82920,426
December 20242.5%50519,94520,450
November 20242.5%51419,95220,466
October 20242.2%44720,29120,738
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.8%57320,04920,622
20242.5%51420,13020,644
20232.0%40819,53519,943
20222.6%49218,46518,957
20216.3%1,16317,16918,332
202010.9%2,23918,38920,628
20191.9%42821,56721,995
20182.1%45320,73521,188
20172.9%58319,54720,130
20164.9%98719,03820,025

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. North Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.2% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Williams County

361.4 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 256.7.
1,973.8 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 1,698.0.
0murders2024, 141 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024141361.47701,973.8
2023140379.67992,166.2
2022151415.27031,933.1
2021107262.25671,389.4
2020129327.58912,262.3
2019151409.09742,638.3
2018165472.79312,666.9
2017121336.48982,496.5
201695252.09462,509.8
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Williston Police Department202512450828,724
Williams County Sheriff's Office202517828,948
Tioga Police Department20243162,060
Ray Police Department202202666

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in North Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

3.03 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 40,601 people.
123sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
61civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Williams County Sheriff's Office53478,948
Williston Police Department641328,724
Tioga Police Department512,170
Ray Police Department10759
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251233.03614
20241173.00674
20231273.44674
20221253.44624
20211212.97664
20201243.15614
20191143.09584
20181053.01674
2017962.67614

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Williams County County Auditor?
Beth M. Innis is the County Auditor of Williams County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Williams County County Sheriff?
Verlan Kvande is the County Sheriff of Williams County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Williams County State's Attorney?
Jaakan Williams is the State's Attorney of Williams County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Williams County County Treasurer/Recorder?
Patti Ogurchak is the County Treasurer/Recorder of Williams County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Williams County commissioners?
Beau Anderson (District 1); Steve Kemp (District 2); Cory Hanson (District 3); Chris Walstad (District 4); Barry Ramberg (District 5).
What is the population of Williams County?
About 39,555 people, with a median age of 31.8; the median household income is $85,595 and 8.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Williams County?
2.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 439 people unemployed in a labor force of 20,697, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Williams County?
86 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 52 township, 5 school district and 20 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last general election (2022 or 2024); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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