1.    A county may, without requiring local citizens to permit county home rule powers:

a.    Combine any elective county office with one or more functionally related elective or appointive county offices; b.    Separate an elective county office into two or more elective or appointive offices; or c.    Redesignate an elective county office as an appointive office or an appointive office as an elective office.

2.    A combination or separation of any elected or appointed county office may include the reassignment of any statutory function of that office or service provided by that office, but may not diminish the general responsibility of county government to perform any function or provide any service that is required by law to be performed or provided by county government.

3.    This option is available in addition to, or in lieu of, other county structural options authorized under this title, unless a specific mandate for combining or separating particular county offices is otherwise provided by law. The office of sheriff is excluded from the application of this chapter.