Section 110. County officers, number, terms and compensation; county organization

Organization and government

The General Assembly shall provide by general law for the organization, government, powers, change of boundaries, consolidation, and dissolution of counties, cities, towns, and regional governments. The General Assembly may also provide by general law optional plans of government for counties, cities, or towns to be effective if approved by a majority vote of the qualified voters voting on any such plan in any such county, city, or town.
The General Assembly may also provide by special act for the organization, government, and powers of any county, city, town, or regional government, including such powers of legislation, taxation, and assessment as the General Assembly may determine, but no such special act shall be adopted which provides for the extension or contraction of boundaries of any county, city, or town.
Every law providing for the organization of a regional government shall, in addition to any other requirements imposed by the General Assembly, require the approval of the organization of the regional government by a majority vote of the qualified voters voting thereon in each county and city which is to participate in the regional government and of the voters voting thereon in a part of a county or city where only the part is to participate.

County and city officers

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county and city a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a clerk, who shall be clerk of the court in the office of which deeds are recorded, and a commissioner of revenue. The duties and compensation of such officers shall be prescribed by general law or special act.
Regular elections for such officers shall be held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Such officers shall take office on the first day of the following January unless otherwise provided by law and shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, except that the clerk shall hold office for eight years.
The General Assembly may provide for county or city officers or methods of their selection, including permission for two or more units of government to share the officers required by this section, without regard to the provisions of this section, either (1) by general law to become effective in any county or city when submitted to the qualified voters thereof in an election held for such purpose and approved by a majority of those voting thereon in each such county or city, or (2) by special act upon the request, made after such an election, of each county or city affected. No such law shall reduce the term of any person holding an office at the time the election is held. A county or city not required to have or to elect such officers prior to the effective date of this Constitution shall not be so required by this section.
The General Assembly may provide by general law or special act for additional officers and for the terms of their office.

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county one county treasurer, one sheriff, one attorney for the Commonwealth, and one county clerk, who shall be the clerk of the circuit court. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county for four years commissioners of the revenue for each county, the number, duties and compensation of whom shall be prescribed by law.
There shall be appointed for each county, in such manner as may be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor and one county surveyor.

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county, one county treasurer, who shall not be elected or serve for more than two consecutive terms, nor act as deputy of his immediate successor; one sheriff, one attorney for the Commonwealth and one county clerk, who shall be the clerk of the circuit court. There shall be elected or appointed, for four years, as the General Assembly may provide, commissioners of the revenue, for each county, the number, duties and compensation of whom shall be prescribed by law; but should such commissioners of the revenue be chosen by election by the people then they shall be ineligible for re-election to the office for the next succeeding term.
There shall be appointed, for each county, in such manner as may be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor, and one county surveyor.

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county one sheriff, one attorney for the commonwealth (who shall also be the commonwealth's attorney for the circuit court), one county clerk (who shall also be the clerk of the circuit court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants there may be a separate clerk for the circuit court), one county treasurer, and so many commissioners of the revenue as may be provided by law; and there shall be appointed in a like manner, to be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor and one county surveyor; and there shall also be appointed in the manner provided for in article eight one superintendent of schools.
All regular election for county officers shall be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, and all officers elected or appointed under this provision shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first day of January next succeeding their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, except that county and circuit court clerks shall hold office for six years.

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county, one sheriff, one attorney for the commonwealth, who shall also be the commonwealth's attorney for the circuit court; one county clerk, who shall also be clerk of the circuit court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants, there may be a separate clerk for the circuit court; one county treasurer, and so many commissioners of the revenue as may be provided by law; and there shall be appointed, in a manner to be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor, and one county surveyor; and there shall also be appointed, in the manner provided for in article eight, one superintendent of schools. All regular elections for county officers shall be held on the fourth Thursday in May; and all officers elected or appointed, under this provision, shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first day of July, next succeeding their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, except that county and circuit court clerks shall hold their offices for six years.

There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the county, one Sheriff; one Attorney for the Commonwealth, who shall also be the Commonwealth's Attorney for the Circuit Court; one County Clerk, who shall also be the clerk of the Circuit Court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants there may be a separate clerk for the circuit court; one County Treasurer; and one Superintendent of the Poor. And there shall be appointed in the manner provided for in Article eight, one Superintendent of Schools: Provided, that counties containing less than eight thousand inhabitants may be attached to adjoining counties for the formation of districts for Superintendents of Schools: Provided also, that in counties containing thirty thousand inhabitants there may be appointed an additional Superintendent of Schools therein. All regular elections for county officers shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and all officers elected or appointed under this provision shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first day of January next succeeding their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of three years, except that the County and Circuit Court Clerks shall hold their offices for four years.

The voters of each county shall elect a clerk of the county court, a surveyor, an attorney for the commonwealth, a sheriff, and so many commissioners of the revenue as may be authorized by law, who shall hold their respective offices as follows: The clerk and the surveyor for the term of six years; the attorney for the term of four years; the sheriff and the commissioners for the term of two years. Constables and overseers of the poor shall be elected by the voters, as may be prescribed by law.

The Attorney-General shall be appointed by joint vote of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and commissioned by the Governor, and shall hold his office during the pleasure of the General Assembly. The Clerks of the several courts, when vacancies shall occur, shall be appointed by their respective courts, and the tenure of office, as well of those now in office as of those who may be hereafter appointed, shall be prescribed by law. The Sheriffs and coroners shall be nominated by the respective county courts, and when approved by the Governor, shall be commissioned by him. The justices shall appoint constables. And all fees of the aforesaid officers shall be regulated by law.