(A) Each county shall appoint a building official or contract with other political subdivisions as authorized in § 6-9-20 so that the unincorporated area of the county is under the jurisdiction of a building official. Each municipality shall appoint a building official or contract for a building official within the municipal limits. Based on the needs established by each municipality or county, the building official or appointing authority may appoint and employ other personnel and assistants necessary to perform the required inspections and duties and may prescribe fees for construction permits and inspections.

(B) If a municipality or county determines that it is unable to arrange for services for any annual period at costs totally within the schedule of fees recommended in the appendices to the building codes referred to in § 6-9-50, the municipality or county shall submit an affidavit to the council to be exempt from the requirements of this chapter. The affidavit shall provide the financial reasoning as to why the municipality or county cannot provide the services. If such affidavit is submitted, the municipality or county is exempt from the requirements of this chapter, which exemption is effective until such time as it becomes financially feasible for a municipality or county to provide the services, or five years, whichever is less. A municipality or county may renew its affidavit at the end of five years and at each five-year interval thereafter if it makes another determination that it cannot arrange for services at costs totally within the schedule of fees recommended in the building codes referred to in § 6-9-50.