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ARTICLE
VIII. COUNTIES
AND CITIES. Section
1. The State
shall be divided into political divisions to be called counties. Section
2. The several
counties as they now exist are hereby recognized as the legal political divisions
of the State. Section
3. The Legislature
shall have power to establish new counties, and to change county lines. Every
newly established county shall be held liable for its proportion of the then
existing liabilities of the county or counties from which it shall be formed,
rated upon the basis of the assessed value of the property, both real and personal,
subject to taxation within the territory taken from any county or counties;
and every county acquiring additional territory from another county shall be
held liable for its proportion of the liabilities of such other county existing
at the time of such acquisition, to be rated upon the basis of the assessed
value of all property subject to taxation within such acquired territory. Section
4. The Legislature shall have no power to remove the County Seat of any
county, but shall provide by general law for such removal; Provided,
That in the formation of new counties the County Seat may be temporarily established
by law. Section
5. There shall
be appointed by the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate, in and
for each county, five County Commissioners. Their terms of office shall be two
years, and their powers, duties and compensation shall be prescribed by law.
The Legislature shall provide for the division of each county into five districts,
and one County Commissioner shall be selected from each of such districts. Section
6. The Legislature
shall provide for the election by the qualified electors in each county of the
following county officers: A Clerk of the Circuit Court, a Sheriff, Constables,
a County Assessor of Taxes, a Tax Collector, a County Treasurer, a Superintendent
of Public Instruction, and a County Surveyor. The term of office of all county
officers mentioned in this section shall be four years, except that of County
Assessor of Taxes, County Tax collector and County Treasurer, who shall be elected
for two Section
7. The Legislature
shall by law authorize the County Commissioners of the several counties, where
it is deemed necessary for assessment purposes, to divide their respective counties
into taxation districts, and to appoint in and for each district an Assistant
Assessor of Taxes, whose powers, duties and compensation shall be prescribed
by law. All county officers, except Assistant Assessors of Taxes, shall, before
entering upon the duties of their respective offices, be commissioned by the
Governor; but no such commission shall issue to any such officer until he shall
have filed with the Secretary of State a good and sufficient bond in such sum
and upon such conditions as the Legislature shall by law prescribe, approved
by the County Commissioners of the county in which such officer resides, and
by the Comptroller. No county officer shall become security upon the official
bond of any other county officer. If any person elected or appointed to any
county office shall fail to give bond and qualify within sixty days after his
election, the said office shall become vacant. Section 8. The Legislature shall have power to establish and to abolish municipalities, to provide for their government, to prescribe their jurisdiction and powers, and to alter or amend the same at any time. When any municipality shall be abolished, provision shall be made for the protection of its creditors.
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