Volume 173, Page 421 View pdf image (33K) |
MARYLAND MANUAL 421
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 offices. Four counties, Montgomery (in 1948), Baltimore (in 1956), and Anne Arundel and Wicomico (in 1964), have adopted charter govern- ments with special departments and officers 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 those four counties, like those of other counties, according to function rather than according to the legal or administrative rela- tionships their charters have created. 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 footnotes. 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 (Const. 1867, Art. IV, 'Sees. 19-26; Code 1957, 1966 Repl. Vol., Art. 26). Clerk of the Circuit Court: Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term (Code 1957, 1966 Repl. Vol., Art. 17). State's Attorney: Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term (Const. 1867, Art. V, Sees. 7-12). Sheriff: Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term (Const. 1867, Art. IV, Sec. 44). Register of Wills: Elected by the voters of the county for a four-year term (Const. 1867, Art. IV, Sec. 41). Judges, Orphans' Court: Elected by the voters of each county for a four-year term, except in Montgomery County. The Governor designates the Chief Judge. Since November 1966, the Circuit Court Judges have performed the Orphans' Court functions in Montgomery County (Const. 1867, Art. IV, Sees. 20, 40; Code 1957, 1964 Repl. Vol., Art. 93). Trial Magistrates: Appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate for two-year terms, except in Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Harford, Wicomico, and Dorchester Counties where People's Courts have replaced the Trial Magistrates system (Code 1957, 1964 Repl. Vol., 1967 Supp„ Art. 52, Sees. 97-126). |
||||
Volume 173, Page 421 View pdf image (33K) |
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|
An Archives of Maryland electronic publication.
For information contact
mdlegal@mdarchives.state.md.us.