1. COUNTIES

The county officials are here divided into two groups: Judicial and
Administrative. The administrative officials are listed according to the
following- functions: executive and legislative; fiscal; election; public
safety; health, education, and welfare; planning, building, and inspec-
tion; licensing; liquor control; and extension and soil conservation
services.

Several counties have begun to outgrow the traditional county
officea. Two counties, Montgomery (in. 1948) and BaWmoT-p (in 1956),
have adopted charter governments with special departments and offi-
cers which perform functions formerly exercised by the Board of
County Commissioners. Even in these counties, however, most of the
traditional offices remain, and though many of them are not regulated
by charter, they work side by side with the new departments. For this
reason, we have listed the officers of Montgomery and Baltimore
counties, like those of other counties, according to function rather
than according to the legal or administrative relationships their char-
ters have created. Anne Arundel County (in 1947) also adopted the
county manager system, but in this county the manager form func-
tions within the General Assembly-county commissioner legislative
framework rather than within the county council type of organization.

Methods of appointment and terms of office of the officials common
to most of the counties are explained below. Such information about
officers peculiar to any one county is given in footnotps. Unless other-
wise indicated, all officers may be addressed at their respective county
seats.

METHODS OF APPOINTMENT

JUDICIAL OFFICERS
Resident Judge:

Elected by the voters of the First, Second, and Eighth Judicial
Circuits and in other circuits by the voters of the county for a
fifteen-year term.
Clerk of the Circuit Court:

Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term,
State's Attorney:

Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term.
Sheriff:

Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term.
Register of Wills:

Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term.
Judges, Orphans' Court:

Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term. The
Governor designates the Chief Judge.
Trial Magistrates:

Appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate for
two-year terms.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

Board of County Commissioners:

Elected by the voters of each county except Baltimore and Mont-
gomery counties for four-year terms.
County Councils:

Elected by the voters of Baltimore and Montgomery counties for
four-year terms.