1. The consolidation of one or more cities and one or more counties shall create a unified government which includes a municipal corporation and a county. The consolidated unit shall have the separate status of a county and a city for all purposes and shall constitute two political subdivisions, a consolidated city and a county, under combined governance. The consolidated unit shall retain one separate constitutional debt limitation with respect to its status as a city and a separate constitutional debt limitation with respect to its status as a county.
2. A consolidated unit of local government may include an area which is located in another county, but which is within the corporate boundaries of one of the consolidated cities. County services shall be provided in the extra-county area and taxes to fund those services shall be collected in the extra- county area by the consolidated government, to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the State of Iowa. In addition to the right to vote in the county of residence, electors residing in the extra-county area shall have the right to vote on any matter related to the consolidated unit of local government, including election of its officials.
If a city-county consolidation charter is proposed, within ninety days following the final report of the commission, a resident or property owner of the commission area proposed to be consolidated may bring an action in district court for declaratory judgment to determine the legality of the proposed charter and to otherwise declare the effect of the charter. The referendum on the proposed charter shall be stayed during pendency of the action and for such additional time during which the proposed charter or its enabling legislation does not conform to the Constitution or laws of the State of Iowa. If in its final judgment the court determines that the proposed charter fails to conform to the Constitution or laws of this state, the commission shall have a period of six months in which to revise and resubmit the proposed charter.
3. All provisions of law authorizing contributions of any kind, in money or otherwise, from the state or federal government to counties and cities shall remain in full force with respect to each city and the county comprising a consolidated local government.
88 Acts, ch 1229, §21; 91 Acts, ch 256, §23, 24
Referred to in § 373.4
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