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Maryland Manual, 1977-78
Volume 178, Page 383   View pdf image (33K)
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COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN MARYLAND
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 social services; planning,
building, and inspection; licensing; liquor control; and extension and soil conservation
services.
Several counties have begun to outgrow the traditional county offices. Eight counties,
Montgomery (in 1948), Baltimore (in 1956), Anne Arundel and Wicomico (in 1964),
Howard (in 1968), Prince George's (in 1970), Harford (in 1972), and Talbot (in
1973), have adopted charter governments with special departments and officers which
perform functions formerly exercised by the Board of County Commissioners. Three ad-
ditional counties, Kent, in 1970, Allegany, in 1974, and Worcester, in 1976, have adopted
the optional powers of home rule as provided in Article XIF of the Constitution and
Article 25B of the 1957 Code. For provisions relating to the counties which do not fall
into these categories, see Article 25 of the Code as amended. Even in these counties, how-
ever, 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 (Const. 1867, Art. XIA; Code
1957, 1973 Repl. Vol., Art. 25A, as amended). For this reason, we have listed the offi-
cers of those counties, like those of other counties, according to function rather than ac-
cording to the legal or administrative relationships 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 otherwise indicated, all officers may be addressed at their re-
spective county seats.

METHODS OF APPOINTMENT
JUDICIAL OFFICERS
Resident fudges: Elected by the voters of
the First, Second, and Eighth Judicial Cir-
cuits and in other circuits by the voters of
the county for fifteen-year terms (Const.
1867, Art. IV, sees. 19-26; Courts Art.,
sees. 1-501 to 1-503).
Clerks of the Circuit Court: Elected by the
voters of the county for four-year terms
(Const. 1867, Art. IV, sec. 25; Courts Art.,
sees. 2-201 to 2-206).
State's Attorneys: Elected by the voters of
the county for four-year terms (Const.
1867, Art. V, sees. 7-12).
Sheriffs: Elected by the voters of the county
for four-year terms (Const. 1867, Art. IV,
sec. 44; Code 1957, 1969 Repl. Vol., Art.
87; Courts Art., sees. 2-301 to 2-309).
Registers of Wills: Elected by the voters of
the county for four-year terms (Const.
1867, Art. IV, sec. 41; Code 1957, Art.
93).
Judges, Orphans' Courts: Elected by the
voters of Baltimore City and each county
for four-year terms, except in Montgomery
and Harford counties, where the Circuit
Court Judges perform that function. The
Governor designates the Chief Judge (Const.
1867, Art. IV, sees. 20, 40; Code 1957,
1969 Repl. Vol., Art. 93).
Judges, District Court: Appointed by the
Governor with the advice and consent of
the Senate for ten-year terms or until each
judge becomes seventy years of age. The
District Court system replaced the previ-
ously existing justices of the peace, county
trial magistrates, people's courts, the Mu-
nicipal Court of Baltimore City and other
courts of limited jurisdiction (Const. 1867,
Art. IV, sec. 41-D; Courts Art., sees. 1-601
to 1-605).
District Court Administrative Clerks: Ap-
pointed by the Chief Judge of the District
Court upon the recommendation of the Ad-


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Maryland Manual, 1977-78
Volume 178, Page 383   View pdf image (33K)
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