UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1205
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AN ACT relating to the office of county judge/executive. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 63.210 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) If[When] a vacancy occurs in the office of county judge/executive by reason of 4
death, resignation, or removal, the county clerk shall immediately notify the 5
Governor of the vacancy. Once a vacancy occurs in the office of county 6
judge/executive, the remaining members of the fiscal court shall immediately 7
elect one (1) of their members to serve as temporary county judge/executive until 8
the Governor fills the vacancy in the office, notwithstanding the provisions of 9
KRS 61.080(2) to the contrary. 10
(2) (a) The Governor shall fill a vacancy in the office of county judge/executive by 11
appointment in accordance with this subsection and Section 152 of the 12
Constitution of Kentucky for the unexpired term. The Governor shall 13
appoint a person to fill a vacancy in the office of county judge/executive not 14
later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the vacancy occurs. 15
(b) The appointee shall be selected from a list of three (3) names that is to be 16
submitted by the county executive committee of the same political party as 17
the county judge/executive who held the vacant seat within twenty-one (21) 18
days after the date on which the vacancy occurs. The appointee shall have 19
been continuously registered as a member of that political party since 20
December 31 of the preceding year. 21
(c) In the event the vacant seat was held by a person who was not a member of 22
any political party as defined under KRS 118.015, the county executive 23
committee fails to submit a list of three (3) names, or the county executive 24
committee is nonexistent, the Governor shall appoint any qualified voter 25
within the county. 26
Section 2. KRS 67.705 is amended to read as follows: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1205
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(1) Each county shall have a chief executive officer known as the county 1
judge/executive. Only a resident of the county shall be eligible for election as 2
county judge/executive. He shall be nominated and elected by the qualified voters 3
of the county in the manner provided by law for the election of county officers.[ In 4
case the office of county judge/executive becomes vacant by reason of death, 5
resignation, or removal, it shall be filled with a person appointed by the Governor, 6
in accordance with Section 152 of the Constitution, for the unexpired term. The 7
Governor shall appoint a person to fill a vacancy in the office of county 8
judge/executive not later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the vacancy 9
occurs. If a vacancy occurs in the office of county judge/executive, the remaining 10
members of fiscal court shall elect one (1) of their members to serve as temporary 11
county judge/executive until the Governor fills the vacancy in the office, 12
notwithstanding the provisions of KRS 61.080(2) to the contrary.] 13
(2) The county judge/executive shall receive an annual salary pursuant to the salary 14
schedule in KRS 64.5275, except in counties that contain an urban-county form of 15
government or a consolidated local government, where the county judge/executive 16
shall receive the salary set by the legislative body. 17
(3) Except in counties containing a consolidated local government, in no event shall the 18
county judge/executive, justice of the peace, magistrate, or commissioners who 19
serve on the fiscal court holding office on January 2, 1978, receive less than the 20
total annual compensation received by that official during calendar year 1976. 21
(4) In a county containing a consolidated local government, the county judge/executive 22
and magistrates or commissioners may have those duties as determined by 23
ordinance of the consolidated local government and shall receive a salary as set by 24
the legislative council of the consolidated local government for those duties. 25