The policy-making board, the county commission, may consist of from three to 21 members. If the board consists of seven or more members, no more than half may be elected at large. The optional plan allows the county commission to legislate - that is, they may make rules or laws not in conflict with general law. To date, no county in Ohio has adopted the alternative form. Under the charter form, authorized by Article X of the Constitution of Ohio, the county may assume the power and role of a charter municipality, including home rule and the right to choose any form of government.
Summit County is the only Ohio county to adopt a charter.
Further discussion herein on the subject of counties will be confined to the general statutory form. Counties have many elected officers, each with some executive authority. There is no chief executive officer as such, the president of the board of commissioners being the closest to filling that title. The officials playing the most important roles in the county finances are the commissioners, auditor, treasurer and prosecuting attorney. County Commission County commissioners are elected for four-year terms.