The county chair gets paid more than Portland's mayor—$140,000 compared to $128,000 annually—and also wields far more authority over county staff, policy and budget than does the mayor over city staff, policy and budget. Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith reports to an elected board, and Mayor Charlie Hales shares the management of city bureaus with four commissioners who are nearly his equal. County commissioners, by contrast, have little authority. Most of that belongs to the chair.