§ 31-3-2 — Composition; terms of members

(a) Each county board of health shall be composed of seven members as follows: (1) One member shall be the chief executive officer of the governing authority of the county, by whatever name called, or some member designated by said officer; in counties where the governing authority is the judge of the probate court of the county, he shall be the member so appointed; (2) One member shall be the county superintendent of schools or other school personnel may be designated by said superintendent for such time period as determined by the superintendent but not to exceed such superintendent's contract term; (3) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, one member to be appointed by the governing authority of the county shall be a physician actively practicing medicine in the county and licensed under Chapter 34 of Title 43. If there are fewer than four physicians actively practicing in the county or if there is no physician actively practicing in the county who is willing and able to serve, the governing authority may appoint a person licensed as a nurse or dentist under Chapter 26 or 11, respectively, of Title 43, and actively practicing such profession in the county or any other person having a familiarity with and concern for the provision of medical services in the county; (4) One member to be appointed by the governing authority of the county shall be a consumer, a representative of a consumer, or a person from an advocacy agency or group, which member will represent on the board the county's consumers of health services; (5) One member to be appointed by the governing authority of the largest municipality in the county shall be a person interested in promoting public health who is a consumer or a nurse licensed under Chapter 26 of Title 43; (6) One member to be appointed by the governing authority of the county shall be a consumer member who will represent on the board the county's needy, underprivileged, or elderly community; and (7) One member shall be the chief executive officer of the governing authority of the largest municipality of the county, by whatever name called, or some member designated by said officer; provided, however, that whenever the legal situs of such largest municipality lies within an adjoining county, the county governing authority may adopt an ordinance providing: (A) For the selection by the county governing authority of the chief executive officer, by whatever name designated, of the governing authority of any municipality lying wholly or partially within the county to fill the position on the county board of health authorized by this paragraph; (B) That the chief executive officer so selected may designate another member of the respective municipal governing authority, whose term of office is the same as that of the chief executive officer, to serve in the place of the chief executive officer; (C) That the chief executive officer so selected or the chief executive officer's designee shall serve for a term of office as a member of the county board of health concurrent with the term of office as a member of the municipal governing authority; (D) That a vacancy in the position on the county board of health which is held by the chief executive officer or the chief executive officer's designee shall be filled for the unexpired term by the county governing authority; and (E) That the first member of the county board of health selected by the county governing authority under such ordinance may take office at any time on or after January 1, 1987, and that the term of office of the member of the county board of health holding office pursuant to this paragraph on December 31, 1986, shall expire on the day immediately preceding the day such first member selected under such ordinance takes office. (b) No member appointed to the county board of health shall be an employee of the county board of health or of the department. (c) The terms of the members of county boards of health serving as such on June 30, 1985, and who are serving in membership positions required to be filled by grand jury appointment, shall expire at the end of June 30, 1985, and upon the appointment and qualification of their successors. (d) The initial term of the member first appointed pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall begin July 1, 1985, and shall expire December 31, 1987; the initial term of the member first appointed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall begin July 1, 1985, and shall expire December 31, 1986; the initial term of the member first appointed pursuant to paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall begin July 1, 1984, and expire December 31, 1985; and the initial term of the member first appointed pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall begin July 1, 1984, and shall expire December 31, 1986. After these initial terms, members appointed pursuant to paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall take office the first day of January immediately following the expiration of the immediately preceding term of that office and serve terms of six years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies in any such membership shall be filled, for the unexpired term and until a successor is appointed and qualified, in the same manner as the original appointment. (e) Persons holding office as members pursuant to paragraph (1), (2), or (7) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall serve as members while holding their offices as chief executive officer of the governing authority of the county, county superintendent of schools, or chief executive officer of the largest municipality of the county, respectively. (f) In each county having a population of not less than 400,000 and not more than 500,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1990 or any future such census, the superintendent of the largest municipal school system in the county shall serve in an ex officio capacity as an additional member of the county board of health.