House File 75 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 75 BY BLOOMINGDALE A BILL FOR An Act relating to methods of determining compensation for 1 elected county officers. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1244YH (4) 90 js/ns
H.F. 75 Section 1. Section 331.212, subsection 2, Code 2023, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraphs: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . i. Setting the compensation schedule of 3 elected county officers, if the board has not established or 4 has dissolved a county compensation board pursuant to section 5 331.905. 6 NEW PARAGRAPH . j. Dissolving a county compensation board. 7 Sec. 2. Section 331.321, subsection 1, paragraph l, Code 8 2023, is amended to read as follows: 9 l. Two members of the county compensation board in 10 accordance with section 331.905 , if the board of supervisors 11 has established a county compensation board . 12 Sec. 3. Section 331.322, subsections 6 and 7, Code 2023, are 13 amended to read as follows: 14 6. Review Annually prepare and review the compensation 15 schedule, or review the final compensation schedule of the 16 county compensation board if the board of supervisors has 17 established a county compensation board, and determine the 18 final compensation schedule in accordance with section 331.907 . 19 7. Provide necessary office facilities and the technical 20 and clerical assistance requested by the county compensation 21 board to accomplish the purposes of sections 331.905 and 22 331.907 , if the board of supervisors has established a county 23 compensation board . 24 Sec. 4. Section 331.905, subsection 1, unnumbered paragraph 25 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows: 26 There is created in each county A board of supervisors may 27 vote to establish a county compensation board which subject to 28 the provisions of this section. The county compensation board 29 shall be composed of seven members who are residents of the 30 county. The members of the county compensation board shall be 31 selected as follows: 32 Sec. 5. Section 331.905, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 33 following new subsection: 34 NEW SUBSECTION . 7. A board of supervisors may dissolve a 35 -1- LSB 1244YH (4) 90 js/ns 1/ 4
H.F. 75 county compensation board upon a majority vote of the members 1 of the board of supervisors. If the board of supervisors has 2 not established or has dissolved the county compensation board, 3 the board of supervisors shall carry out the duties as the 4 county compensation board, including as provided in section 5 331.907. 6 Sec. 6. Section 331.907, subsections 1, 2, and 3, Code 2023, 7 are amended to read as follows: 8 1. The annual compensation of the auditor, treasurer, 9 recorder, sheriff, county attorney, and supervisors shall 10 be determined as provided in this section . The county 11 compensation board annually shall review the compensation 12 paid to comparable officers in other counties of this state, 13 other states, private enterprise, and the federal government. 14 In setting the salary of the county sheriff, the county 15 compensation board shall set the sheriffs salary so that it 16 is comparable to salaries paid to professional law enforcement 17 administrators and command officers of the state patrol, 18 the division of criminal investigation of the department of 19 public safety, and city police chiefs employed by cities of 20 similar population to the population of the county. The county 21 compensation board shall prepare a compensation schedule for 22 the elective elected county officers for the succeeding fiscal 23 year. The county compensation board shall provide documentation 24 to the board of supervisors that demonstrates how the county 25 compensation board determined the recommended compensation 26 schedule, including by providing the applicable compensation 27 information for comparable officers in other counties of this 28 state, other states, private enterprise, and the federal 29 government. A recommended compensation schedule requires a 30 majority vote of the membership of the county compensation 31 board. 32 2. At the public hearing held on the county budget as 33 provided in section 331.434 , the county compensation board 34 shall submit its recommended compensation schedule for the 35 -2- LSB 1244YH (4) 90 js/ns 2/ 4
H.F. 75 next fiscal year to the board of supervisors for inclusion 1 in the county budget. The board of supervisors shall review 2 the recommended compensation schedule for the elected county 3 officers and determine the final compensation schedule which 4 shall not exceed the compensation schedule recommended by 5 the county compensation board . In determining the final 6 compensation schedule if the board of supervisors wishes to 7 reduce the amount of the recommended compensation schedule, 8 the amount of salary increase proposed for each elected 9 county officer, except as provided in subsection 3 , shall 10 be reduced an equal percentage. In determining the final 11 compensation schedule for the elected county officers, 12 the board of supervisors shall set compensation at no less 13 than the compensation provided in the current compensation 14 schedule. However, the compensation for a position may be 15 set at less than the compensation provided in the current 16 compensation schedule if the position is reduced to part-time 17 under the recommended compensation schedule. A copy of the 18 final compensation schedule shall be filed with the county 19 budget at the office of the director of the department of 20 management. The final compensation schedule takes effect on 21 July 1 following its adoption by the board of supervisors. For 22 purposes of this subsection, current compensation schedule 23 means the compensation schedule in effect when the board of 24 supervisors considers the recommended compensation schedule. 25 3. The board of supervisors may adopt a decrease in 26 compensation paid to supervisors irrespective of the county 27 compensation boards recommended compensation schedule or other 28 approved changes in compensation paid to other elected county 29 officers. A decrease in compensation paid to supervisors shall 30 be adopted by the board of supervisors no less than thirty days 31 before the county budget is certified under section 24.17 . 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -3- LSB 1244YH (4) 90 js/ns 3/ 4
H.F. 75 This bill relates to methods of determining compensation for 1 elected county officers. 2 Under current law, each county has a county compensation 3 board that prepares a recommended compensation schedule 4 for elected county officers that the county board of 5 supervisors then reviews. Current law provides procedures 6 and limitations that both the county compensation board and 7 board of supervisors must adhere to in determining the final 8 compensation schedule. 9 The bill allows a board of supervisors to vote to establish 10 a county compensation board. The county compensation board 11 shall be composed as provided under current law. The board of 12 supervisors may also vote to dissolve a county compensation 13 board. The board of supervisors shall carry out the duties as 14 the county compensation board if the board of supervisors has 15 not established or has dissolved a county compensation board. 16 The bill requires the county compensation board to provide 17 documentation to the board of supervisors demonstrating how 18 the county compensation board determined the recommended 19 compensation schedule. The bill strikes provisions that 20 prohibit the board of supervisors from exceeding the 21 compensation schedule recommended by the county compensation 22 board or from reducing the amount of the recommended 23 compensation schedule unless the amount of salary increase 24 proposed for each elected county officer is reduced by an equal 25 percentage. The bill prohibits the board of supervisors from 26 setting compensation lower than the compensation set forth 27 in the current compensation schedule, but provides that the 28 proposed compensation for a position may be reduced when the 29 position is reduced to part-time. Further, the bill strikes a 30 provision that authorizes the board of supervisors to adopt a 31 decrease in compensation paid to supervisors irrespective of 32 the compensation boards recommended compensation schedule or 33 other approved changes in compensation paid to other elected 34 county officers. The bill makes conforming changes. 35 -4- LSB 1244YH (4) 90 js/ns 4/ 4