(1) A county clerk, a county treasurer, a register of deeds, a prosecuting attorney, a sheriff, a drain commissioner, and a surveyor shall be elected at the 2000 general November election and every fourth year after that. However, in a county in which 1 of these offices is abolished or combined as provided by law, no person shall be elected to that office in that county.

    (2) Subject to subsections (3), (4), and (5), a county board of commissioners may by resolution combine the offices of county clerk and register of deeds in 1 office of the clerk register or separate the office of the clerk register into the offices of county clerk and register of deeds. A combination or separation of offices shall not take effect before the expiration of the current term of the affected offices.

    (3) Before adopting a resolution to combine the offices of county clerk and register of deeds or separate the office of clerk register into the offices of county clerk and register of deeds, a county board of commissioners shall study the question of combining or separating the offices. The mandatory requirements of this subsection may be satisfied by conducting a public hearing pursuant to subsection (4).

    (4) The county board of commissioners as a whole body shall hold not less than 1 public hearing, held subject to the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275, on the question of combining or separating the offices of county clerk and register of deeds. The county board of commissioners may vote on the question as a regularly scheduled agenda item not less than 10 days or more than 30 days after the last public hearing held by the county board of commissioners on the question.

    (5) Not later than the sixth Tuesday before the deadline for filing the nominating petitions for the office of county clerk, register of deeds, or clerk register, the county board of commissioners may by a vote of 2/3 of the commissioners elected and serving combine the offices of county clerk and register of deeds or separate the office of the clerk register. The resolution shall become effective upon the commencement of the next term of office of the county clerk, register of deeds, or clerk register after the adoption of the resolution.