The form of Kentucky's county government is of English origin. The chief governing body is the fiscal court, consisting of the county judge and district magistrates or commissioners. Other elected officials are the sheriff, jailer, attorney, and court clerk. All are elected for four-year terms. As of 2002, the state had 119 counties.
In 2002, Kentucky had 424 municipalities. Cities are assigned by the state's general assembly to six classes, based on population. The two largest cities, categorized as first-class, are Louisville and Lexington. The mayor or other chief executive officer in the top three classes must be elected; in the bottom classes, the executive may be either elected by the people or appointed by a city council or commission. Mayors serve four-year terms; members of city legislative boards, also provided for in the state constitution, are generally elected for terms of two years.
Other units of local government in Kentucky include special districts (720 in 2002), such as districts for sewer and flood control and area-development districts for regional planning. The state had 176 public school districts in 2002.