House File 486 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 486 BY BARKER A BILL FOR An Act relating to residency requirements for individuals 1 holding office as a trustee of a drainage or levee district. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2771YH (2) 91 da/ns
H.F. 486 Section 1. Section 468.506, subsection 1, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. The bona fide owner of agricultural land in the election 3 district for which the trustee is elected, and a resident of 4 the county in which that district is located or of a county 5 which is contiguous to or corners on that county this state . 6 Sec. 2. Section 468.506, subsection 3, paragraph c, Code 7 2025, is amended to read as follows: 8 c. The individual must be a resident of the county in 9 which the election district is located or of a county that is 10 contiguous to or corners on that county this state . 11 EXPLANATION 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 13 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 14 BACKGROUND DRAINAGE OR LEVEE DISTRICTS. This bill amends 15 a provision in Iowas drainage and levee law (Code chapter 16 468), which provides for the establishment and management of a 17 drainage or levee district (district) to construct improvements 18 to control (i.e., divert or store) any accumulation of water 19 affecting the value of agricultural or other land located in 20 the district. The establishment of the district creates a 21 number of rights and duties of persons owning land within the 22 district, including an obligation to pay an assessment (tax) on 23 the land based on the increased value of the land benefiting 24 from the improvements. 25 BACKGROUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES. A district is managed by a 26 governing body which may be a countys board of supervisors, 27 joint boards of supervisors governing intercounty districts, 28 or, upon a petition of the persons owning land in the district, 29 a board of trustees elected by those persons (see Code section 30 468.3 and Code chapter 468, subchapter III). If a district 31 is not located within the limits of a city, and the land is 32 consequentially classified as agricultural, a trustee must meet 33 certain eligibility requirements. The trustee must either be 34 an individual who owns agricultural land in the district or 35 -1- LSB 2771YH (2) 91 da/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 486 an individual who has an interest in a business entity that 1 owns agricultural land in the district (e.g., a partnership 2 or family farm entity described in Code chapter 9H). In both 3 cases, the individual must reside in the county in which the 4 district is located or reside in a county which is contiguous 5 to the county, or corners the county, where the district is 6 located. 7 BILLS PROVISION. The bill replaces the requirement 8 that, in order to hold office as a trustee of a district, 9 an individual must reside in a county where the district is 10 located or a neighboring county, with a requirement that the 11 individual must be a resident in this state. 12 -2- LSB 2771YH (2) 91 da/ns 2/ 2