(2)(a) When the local public health administrator is a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677, the local public health administrator may serve as the local health officer for the local public health authority.

(b) When the local public health administrator does not serve as the local health officer, the local public health administrator shall employ or otherwise contract for services with a local health officer who is a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677 to perform the specific medical responsibilities requiring the services of a physician.

(c) A physician employed or whose services are contracted for under this subsection is responsible to the local public health administrator for the medical and paramedical aspects of the public health programs administered by the local public health administrator.

(3) The local public health administrator shall:

(a) Serve as the executive secretary of the local public health authority, act as the administrator of the local health department and supervise the officers and employees appointed under paragraph (b) of this subsection.

(b) Appoint, subject to the approval of the local public health authority, administrators, medical officers, public health nurses, environmental health specialists and such employees necessary to carry out the duties of the local public health administrator under ORS 431.001 to 431.550 and 431.990 and any other public health law of this state.

(c) Provide the local public health authority at appropriate intervals information concerning the activities of the local health department and submit an annual budget for the approval of the governing body of the county or, for a health district formed under ORS 431.443, the governing bodies of the counties that formed the health district.

(d) Act as the agent of the Oregon Health Authority in enforcing state public health laws and rules of the authority, including such sanitary inspection of hospitals and related institutions as may be requested by the authority.

(e) Perform any other duty required by law.

(4) A local public health administrator shall serve until removed by the appointing local public health authority. A local public health administrator may not engage in an occupation that conflicts with the local public health administrator’s official duties and shall devote sufficient time to fulfilling the requirements of subsection (3) of this section. However, if the governing body of a local public health authority is not established under ORS 431.443 (3), the local public health authority may, with the approval of the Director of the Oregon Health Authority, require the local public health administrator to work less than full-time.

(5) A local public health administrator shall receive a salary fixed by the appointing authority and shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of duties. [1961 c.610 §7; 1973 c.829 §24; 1977 c.582 §29; 1981 c.127 §2; 1993 c.26 §1; 2003 c.14 §242; 2003 c.547 §112; 2009 c.595 §564; 2015 c.736 §41; 2019 c.321 §4]