There shall be created in each county of the state a county department of public welfare which shall consist of a county director of public welfare, and such other personnel as may be necessary for the efficient performance of the duties of the county department. It shall be the duty of the board of supervisors of each county to provide office space for the county department.

County director. The commissioner shall designate, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Personnel Board, with the approval of the Governor, a county director of public welfare who shall serve as the executive and administrative officer of the county department and shall be responsible to the state department for its management. Such director shall be a resident citizen of the county and shall not hold any political office of the state, county, municipality or subdivision thereof. However, in cases of emergency, the commissioner may appoint a director of public welfare who is a nonresident of such county, to serve during the period of emergency only.

The county department of public welfare shall administer within the county all forms of public assistance and welfare services. The county department shall comply with such regulations and submit such reports as may be established or required by the state department. Subject to the approval of the state department, the county department may cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, state and local, when so requested, in performing services in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.

In counties having two (2) judicial districts, the state commissioner of public welfare may create and establish in each of the judicial districts a separate county department of public welfare which shall consist of a director of public welfare and such other personnel as may be necessary for the efficient performance of the duties of the department thus established. In such cases the two (2) departments so established shall be dealt with as though each is a separate and distinct county department of public welfare, and each of the departments and each of the directors shall operate and have jurisdiction coextensive with the boundaries of the judicial district in which it is established; and, also, in such cases the words “county” and “director of public welfare” when used in this chapter shall, where applicable, mean each judicial district, and the director of public welfare appointed therefor; and where the board of supervisors is authorized to appropriate funds or provide office space or like assistance for one (1) county welfare department or director, such board may, as the case may be, appropriate the amount specified by law or render the assistance required by law to each of the departments or directors. Provided, however, that the commissioner of public welfare shall not create and establish a separate county department of public welfare pursuant to this paragraph in any county in which such separate county department of public welfare is not in existence on January 1, 1983. Provided further, that in any county having two (2) county departments of public welfare on January 1, 1983, but only one (1) county director of public welfare on said date, the commissioner of public welfare shall not authorize and establish the second position of county director of public welfare in such county.

In any county not having two (2) judicial districts which is greater than fifty (50) miles in length, the commissioner of public welfare may establish one (1) branch office of the county department of public welfare which shall be staffed with existing employees and administrative staff of such county department for not less than four (4) days per week.