In the event the office of the County Executive, County Council, County Fiscal Officer, County Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, County Engineer, County Prosecuting Attorney or County Sheriff becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, failure to remain an elector of the County, or for any other reason whatsoever, the position shall be filled as provided by general law for elected County officers, except as stated herein. In event of a vacancy in the office of the County Executive, the President of Council shall succeed to the office of County Executive on a temporary basis and shall serve until the position is filled as provided by this Section.
The temporary succession of the President of County Council to the office of County Executive as provided herein shall not create a vacancy in the membership of County Council or in the position of President of County Council.
In the event that an elected office set forth in this Section becomes vacant one hundred twenty days or more before the County-wide general election in the second year of a four (4) year term, any temporary appointment is for a period until the next County-wide general election, at which time the position shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term as provided hereinbelow. In the event that an elected office set forth in this Section becomes vacant less than one hundred twenty days before the County-wide general election in the second year of a four (4) year term, any temporary appointment is for the remainder of said four (4) year term.
In the event the vacancy occurs in an elected office set forth in this Section on or before the one hundred twentieth day prior to a County-wide general election in the second year of a four (4) year term, the appropriate committee of each political party may select a person as the party candidate for election for such unexpired term at that general election, and certify the person's name to the appropriate election official not later than four p.m. on the ninetieth day before the day of that general election. Upon that certification, the name shall be printed as the party candidate under the proper titles and in the proper ballots for use at the general election.
Each person desiring to become an independent candidate to fill an unexpired four (4) year term of an elected office set forth in this Section shall file a statement of candidacy and nominating petition with the appropriate election official not later than four p.m. on the ninetieth day before the next County-wide general election. The nominating petition shall contain at least the number of signatures required by general law, and no more than three times the number of signatures required by general law, of qualified electors of the district, political subdivision or a portion of a political subdivision in which the office is to be voted on. However, if a vacancy occurs in the County Executive's office or a County Council position, the petition must contain at least fifty signatures, and no more than one hundred and fifty signatures of qualified electors of the district, political subdivision, or a portion of a political subdivision in which the office is to be voted on.
(Amended 11-7-89; 11-5-19.)