CARIBOU — The Maine County Commissioners Association’s annual state convention opened Friday evening with guest speaker U.S. Rep. Joseph E. Brennan, Democratic candidate for governor.

Brennan addressed county commissioners and municipal officials on the importance of county involvement in state government, reviewing the issues of county revenues and overburdened payers of property tax.

“You have the responsibility to deliver services,” Brennan told commissioners. “But you don’t control your budget. That’s set in Augusta. And this year, I know some of you have a new problem and that’s getting the state to pay its bills.”

In expressing the importance of county as a partner in Maine government, Brennan gave examples of current regional problems that are “larger than an individual town or city.”

Listed were the issues of solid waste and recycling; protecting lakes, rivers and ground water; traffic and road planning; economic development, and housing.

“In the distant past, counties played an important role in addressing regional problems,” said Brennan. “I recall the beginning of a book on the history of Bowdoin College — `The mud was deep and the costs were high to send a boy to Harvard from the district of Maine. So Harvard was brought to Maine.’

“Today counties are not always involved in important regional issues,” Brennan said. “I urge you to get involved. Regional leadership is needed if these problems are to be solved. And county government can help provide that leadership.”

Brennan addressed a meeting held in Portland on Thursday to explore the role of the county in regional government. Studied were the issues affecting that area which included business and academics. Local officials concluded that they needed county government to play a larger role, said Brennan.

“That is the direction that could start to appear around Maine,” said Brennan. “County government exists. It has a history. Its commissioners are democratically elected. It can play a larger role in the future.”

Brennan added that he wished to work with commissioners in the coming months to solve their problems.

He encouraged diversification of revenue sources for local governments to protect education and to get the state back into economic development to create jobs and to expand tax bases.

“It’s a challenge,” Brennan said. “But we’ve met challenges before in Maine. And, if we work together, we’ll meet this one as well.”

Daylong panel discussions and a speech by state Sen. Donald Collins were scheduled Saturday, with the convention closing Sunday morning with a breakfast buffet.