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<br />ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION 98-14 <br />May 12, 1998 <br />Page 8 <br /> <br />Smith Co. 1981). Present Article VII contains no provision requiring <br />any particular county offices to be elective, but specifies only that <br />the Legislature shall provide for the government of all political <br />subdivisions, and each county shall provide for certain services as <br />may be provided by law. N.D. Const. art. VII, ~~ 2, 8. <br /> <br />1981 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4002 was the initial step in <br />amending the article in the N.D. Constitution regarding political <br />subdivisions. The resolution originally retained all elective county <br />offices, and limited the means by which those offices could be <br />eliminated: <br /> <br />Each county shall <br />administrative and <br />registration services, <br />governmental services <br />law. <br /> <br />provide for law enforcement, <br />fiscal services, recording and <br />educational services, and any other <br />or functions as may be provided by <br /> <br />All elective county offices or any combinations thereof <br />which exist on the effective date of this article shall <br />continue to be elective county offices with four year <br />terms; however, any elective county office or offices <br />other than the offices of county commissioners may be <br />eliminated either by adoption of a home rule charter, or <br />an optional form of county government, or at a countywide <br />referendum by a majority of the electors voting on -che <br />question. <br /> <br />Whenever an elective county office <br />county governing board may provide <br />rendered by that office. Any elective <br />by referendum may be reinstated at <br />countywide election by a two-thirds <br />electors voting on the question. <br /> <br />is eliminated, the <br />for any service <br />office eliminated <br />any time at a <br />majority of the <br /> <br />S. Con. Res. 4002, ~ 8, 47th N.D. Leg. (1981) (emphasis supplied). <br />The Legislature amended the proposed new section 8 by r~moving the <br />material underscored above and substituting uAny elective county <br />office shall be for a term of four years. II Hearing on S. Con. Res. <br />4002 Before the Joint Constitutional Revision Comm., 47th N.D. Leg. <br />(March 6, 1981) (Statement of Rep. Kretschmar). The intent of this <br />amendment was to retain language specifying the functions county <br />government would provide and remove from the constitution the <br />requirement for specific elected county officials which would remain <br />as provided in statute. Id. A further purpose of the amendment was <br />to allow a county to adopt a home rule charter and to provide for the <br />