(a)(1) Those deputy or assistant county officials serving in the branch offices in the City of Bessemer in Jefferson County maintained as required by Act No. 490, H. 1566, Regular Session, (General Acts of Alabama 1915, p. 549), hereinafter listed, in lieu of being appointed by the principal county officers, shall be elected and nominated in the same manner that the circuit judges sitting at Bessemer and the deputy district attorney of the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County are nominated and elected, as follows, by the qualified voters of the territory over which the Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit sitting at Bessemer has and exercises jurisdiction, and each of such officials shall at the time of his or her election and during his or her term of office reside within the territory from which he or she is elected.
a. The assistant tax collector shall be elected at the general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1984, and every six years thereafter.
b. The assistant tax assessor shall be elected at the first general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1984, and every six years thereafter.
c. The deputy treasurer shall be elected at the general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1984, and every four years thereafter.
(2) The duties and compensation of such officials shall be the same as heretofore provided by law.
(3) Each principal county officer may summarily remove his or her deputy or assistant elected as prescribed above only if he or she has good and valid reasons for believing that such deputy or assistant is guilty of one of the offenses for which the principal may be impeached, and if he or she does remove such deputy or assistant, the principal officer shall immediately notify the judge of probate of the county of the vacancy and the judge of probate shall call a special election to be held not less than 30 nor more than 45 days thereafter, to fill such vacancy.
(b) The section is cumulative, and shall be construed in pari materia with other laws regulating county offices and officers of Jefferson County, and particularly those provisions of law requiring, providing for, or in any way relating to the branch office system of the county; nevertheless all laws, or parts of laws which directly conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Last modified: May 3, 2021