15.2-1600 - Counties and cities required to elect certain officers; qualifications of attorney for the Commonwealth; duties and compensation of officers; vacancies, certain counties and cities excepte
§ 15.2-1600. Counties and cities required to elect certain officers;qualifications of attorney for the Commonwealth; duties and compensation ofofficers; vacancies, certain counties and cities excepted; officer's powersnot to be diminished.
A. The voters of each county and city shall elect a treasurer, a sheriff, anattorney for the Commonwealth, a clerk, who shall be clerk of the court inthe office of which deeds are recorded, and a commissioner of revenue. Toqualify to be elected or hold office, an attorney for the Commonwealth shallbe a member of the bar of this Commonwealth. The duties and compensation ofsuch officers shall be prescribed by general law or special act and anyvacancy in such office shall be filled, notwithstanding any charter provisionto the contrary, by a majority of the circuit judges of the judicial circuitfor the county or city pursuant to the provisions of §§ 24.2-226 and24.2-227. Any county or city not required to have or to elect such officersprior to July 1, 1971, shall not be so required by this section, nor shallthe provisions of this section apply to those counties and cities which haveheretofore adopted, or may hereafter adopt, a form of government, as providedby law, which does not require such counties or cities to have or elect oneor more of such officers.
B. Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize the governing bodyor the chief administrative officer of a locality to designate an electedconstitutional officer to exercise a power or perform a duty which theofficer is not required to perform under applicable state law without theconsent of such officer, nor by designation to diminish any such officer'spowers or duties as provided by applicable state law including the power toorganize their offices and to appoint such deputies, assistants and otherindividuals as are authorized by law upon the terms and conditions specifiedby such officers.
(1971, Ex. Sess., c. 223, § 15.1-40.1; 1979, c. 522; 1982, c. 637; 1997, c.587.)