Ohio county government

It is marked by a loose organization and a diffusion of power, the basic framework not having been changed since the nineteenth century.

Counties operating under a constitutional government do not possess home rule powers and can do only what has been expressly authorized by the Ohio General Assembly.

However, Article X of the Ohio Constitution gives county government benefits similar to those conferred on cities and villages under the home rule amendments of 1912.

The clerk, coroner, engineer, prosecutor, recorder, and sheriff begin their terms on the first Monday in January.

Any citizen of Ohio and the United States who is 18 years of age or older and lives in the county may run for commissioner, auditor, treasurer, clerk of courts, or recorder.

The board of commissioners often create numerous subordinate departments to handle specific services.

In many counties there are also municipal courts which operate in a defined territory and handle misdemeanors such as traffic tickets and smaller civil matters.