1. (a) In a county to which this chapter applies:

   1. (1) the voters of the county shall continue to elect members of the county council;

   2. (2) beginning on January 1, 2019:

      1. (A) the executive and legislative powers of the county are divided between separate branches of county government, and a power belonging to one (1) branch of county government may not be exercised by the other branch of county government;
      2. (B) the county council is the county legislative body as well as the county fiscal body; and
      3. (C) the single county executive is the county executive of the county and has the executive and administrative powers and duties of the county as provided in IC 36-2-2.5 ; and
   3. (3) the county council must consist of nine (9) members elected by the voters of each of the nine (9) districts.

2. (b) The following apply in a county to which this chapter applies:

   1. (1) Nine (9) county council members shall be elected at the 2018 general election.
   2. (2) The terms of all county council members serving on December 31, 2018, expire January 1, 2019.
   3. (3) Notwithstanding any other law, to provide for staggered terms of the members of the county council, the county council may, before the 2018 primary election, adopt an ordinance specifying which of the nine (9) members of the county council to be elected at the 2018 general election shall serve an initial term of two (2) years rather than four (4) years.

As added by P.L.77-2014, SEC.19.