§ 168.200County officers; election; combination or separation of offices of county clerk

and register of deeds.
 Sec. 200.
    (1) A county clerk, a county treasurer, a register of deeds, a prosecuting attorney, a sheriff, a
 drain commissioner, and a surveyor shall be elected at the 2000 general November election
 and every fourth year after that. However, in a county in which 1 of these offices is abolished
 or combined as provided by law, no person shall be elected to that office in that county.
    (2) Subject to subsections (3), (4), and (5), a county board of commissioners may by
 resolution combine the offices of county clerk and register of deeds in 1 office of the clerk
 register or separate the office of the clerk register into the offices of county clerk and register
 of deeds. A combination or separation of offices shall not take effect before the expiration of
 the current term of the affected offices.
    (3) Before adopting a resolution to combine the offices of county clerk and register of deeds
 or separate the office of clerk register into the offices of county clerk and register of deeds, a
 county board of commissioners shall study the question of combining or separating the offices.
 The mandatory requirements of this subsection may be satisfied by conducting a public
 hearing pursuant to subsection (4).
    (4) The county board of commissioners as a whole body shall hold not less than 1 public
 hearing, held subject to the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275, on the
 question of combining or separating the offices of county clerk and register of deeds. The
 county board of commissioners may vote on the question as a regularly scheduled agenda item
 not less than 10 days or more than 30 days after the last public hearing held by the county
 board of commissioners on the question.
    (5) Not later than the sixth Tuesday before the deadline for filing the nominating petitions
 for the office of county clerk, register of deeds, or clerk register, the county board of
 commissioners may by a vote of 2/3 of the commissioners elected and serving combine the
 offices of county clerk and register of deeds or separate the office of the clerk register. The


                                                                    Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026              Page 66 of 478                               Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov

 resolution shall become effective upon the commencement of the next term of office of the
 county clerk, register of deeds, or clerk register after the adoption of the resolution.