In local government in the United States, a county administrator or county manager is a person appointed to be the administrative manager of a county, in a council–manager form of county government. In some counties, the equivalent position is the county executive (although this term is sometimes used to refer to a directly or indirectly elected official, and not a hired employee) or county chief administrative officer (CAO) in some counties, and county judge in others. The term "county manager," as opposed to CAO, implies more discretion and independent authority that is set forth in a charter or some other body of codified law, as opposed to duties being assigned on a varying basis to a single superior such as a county commissioner.