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2. GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION AND RECORDS SYSTEM
The act creating Carlisle County, approved April 5, 1886, defined
the boundaries and appointed a commission to lay off the new county. An
amending act passed one month later appointed a second commission to per-
fomn the same duties as the former commission. Until such time as the
local administrative and judicial government of the newly-created county
could be established, justices and constables in the territory taken from
other counties to form Carlisle County served until the next regular elec-
tion could be held, and other officers were also temporarily appointed by
Governor J. Proctor Knott to serve until this election. Provision was
made for the selection of suitable sites and the erection of necessary
county buildings. (Acts, 1886, vol. 2, ch. 920, sec. 2h, pp. 559, 560.)
Until 1891 the justices of the peace in Carlisle County exercised
jurisdiction with the judge of the county court, when that court sat as a
court of claims, to assist in laying the county levy and in making appro-
priations (Const. of 1850, art. M, sec. 57; Acts, 1850-51, ch. M19, secs.
1-21, pp. L-H6; see*office of County Judge, pT”E0). The Constitution of
1891, however, abolished the court of claims and established the fiscal
court, composed of the county judge elected by the county at large for a
four—year term and four justices of the peace, each of whom is elected
in his respective magisterial district (Const. of 1891, secs. 99, 101,
155, lh0, 1h2). Jurisdiction pertaining to financial matters, generally,
and to claims against Carlisle County is new exercised by the fiscal
court and includes the authority to raise revenue for the county¥s needs
as prescribed by statutes and to supervise the expenditure of funds for
the maintenance of county property and for building roads and bridges.
(See Fiscal Court, p. 22.)
Since the creation of Carlisle County, the county court clerk has
had an elective four-year term, and his role as county court clerk has
made him the principal custodian of records and the major recording a-
gent of the county. He has, since 1886, served as clerk of the board of
tax supervisors and the quarterly court. With the establishment of the
fiscal court in 1891, he became clerk of that court also. Since 1906 he
has been clerk of the juvenile court and, since 1950, clerk of the board
of election commissioners, In 195h he became clerk of the county budget
commission. The county court clerk performs a host of other duties in
connection with tax collection, issuance of licenses, and elections.
(0011815. of 1850, art, 6, sec, 1; Const, of 1891, secs. 99, 100; Carroll,
s"`““Zecs. 5TES-’Z"1’5, 26, 1855, 185le-TTT-- “‘“"`”
The county judge is elected for a four-year term and prcsides over
the county court. He is chief conservator of the peace, conmnssioned
by the governor. (Const, of 1850, art, LL, sees, 29-57; Acts, 1852, Ch.
22, P. 96; Cvnst. of—1891;75£YTjDi0; see County Court, p. 65.) He
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