House Study Bill 579
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
JUDICIARY BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON PAULSEN)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to county attorney salaries and providing an
2 applicability date.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 5861HC 81
5 sc/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 331.752, subsection 5, Code 2005, is
1 2 amended to read as follows:
1 3 5. The resolution changing the status of a county attorney
1 4 shall state the initial annual salary to be paid to the county
1 5 attorney when the full=time or part=time status is effective.
1 6 The annual salary specified in the resolution shall remain
1 7 effective until changed as provided in section 331.907. The
1 8 annual salary of a part=time county attorney shall be an
1 9 amount that is at least fifty percent of the annual salary
1 10 received by a district judge at the time the recommended
1 11 compensation schedule is submitted to the board of
1 12 supervisors. Except in counties having a population of more
1 13 than two hundred thousand, the annual salary of a full=time
1 14 county attorney shall be an amount which that is between
1 15 forty=five percent and one hundred at least ninety percent of
1 16 the annual salary received by a district court judge at the
1 17 time the recommended compensation schedule is submitted to the
1 18 board of supervisors.
1 19 Sec. 2. Section 331.907, subsection 1, Code Supplement
1 20 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1 21 1. The annual compensation of the auditor, treasurer,
1 22 recorder, sheriff, county attorney, and supervisors shall be
1 23 determined as provided in this section. The county
1 24 compensation board annually shall review the compensation paid
1 25 to comparable officers in other counties of this state, other
1 26 states, private enterprise, and the federal government. In
1 27 setting the salary of the county sheriff, the county
1 28 compensation board shall consider setting the sheriff's salary
1 29 so that it is comparable to salaries paid to professional law
1 30 enforcement administrators and command officers of the state
1 31 patrol, the division of criminal investigation of the
1 32 department of public safety, and city police agencies in this
1 33 state. In setting the salary of the county attorney, the
1 34 county compensation board shall set the salary of a full=time
1 35 or part=time county attorney at an amount equal to or greater
2 1 than the amounts set forth in section 331.752, subsection 5.
2 2 The county compensation board shall prepare a compensation
2 3 schedule for the elective county officers for the succeeding
2 4 fiscal year. A recommended compensation schedule requires a
2 5 majority vote of the membership of the county compensation
2 6 board.
2 7 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY DATE. This Act applies to county
2 8 budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and all
2 9 subsequent fiscal years.
2 10 EXPLANATION
2 11 This bill makes changes relating to county attorney
2 12 salaries. The bill provides that the salary of a part=time
2 13 county attorney shall be an amount that is at least 50 percent
2 14 of the annual salary of a district judge. The bill also
2 15 provides that in counties with a population of 200,000 or
2 16 less, the salary of a full=time county attorney shall be at
2 17 least 90 percent of a district judge. By operation of law,
2 18 this bill may affect the salaries of assistant county
2 19 attorneys because current law provides that the salary of such
2 20 assistants shall not exceed 85 percent of the maximum salary
2 21 of a full=time county attorney.
2 22 The bill applies to county budgets for the fiscal year
2 23 beginning July 1, 2007, and all subsequent fiscal years.
2 24 LSB 5861HC 81
2 25 sc:nh/je/5