Senate File 257 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY TINSMAN Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to protesting a county or city budget. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2405XS 81 4 sc/gg/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 331.436, Code 2005, is amended to read 1 2 as follows: 1 3 331.436 PROTEST. 1 4 Protests to the adopted budget must be made in accordance 1 5 with sections 24.27 through 24.32 as if the county were the 1 6 municipality under those sections except that the number of 1 7 people necessary to file a protest under this section shall 1 8 not be less than one hundred. The written protest filed with 1 9 the county auditor shall, in detail, describe the item or 1 10 items being protested. The hearing on the protest shall be 1 11 limited to consideration of those items described in the 1 12 written protest. 1 13 For purposes of a protest to the adopted budget, "item" 1 14 means a budgeted expenditure, appropriation, or cash reserve 1 15 from a fund for a service area, program, program element, or 1 16 purpose. 1 17 Sec. 2. Section 384.19, unnumbered paragraphs 1 and 3, 1 18 Code 2005, are amended to read as follows: 1 19 Within a period of ten days after the final date that a 1 20 budget or amended budget may be certified to the county 1 21 auditor, persons affected by the budget may file a written 1 22 protest with the county auditor specifying their objections to 1 23 the budget or any part of it. A protest must be signed by 1 24 registered voters equal in number to one=fourth of one percent 1 25 of the votes cast for governor in the last preceding general 1 26 election in the city, but the number shall not be less than 1 27 ten persons and the number need not be more than one hundred 1 28 persons. The written protest filed with the county auditor 1 29 shall, in detail, describe the item or items being protested. 1 30 The state appeal board shall proceed to consider the 1 31 protest in accordance with the same provisions that protests 1 32 to budgets of municipalities are considered under chapter 24, 1 33 except that the hearing on the protest shall be limited to 1 34 consideration of those items described in the written protest. 1 35 The state appeal board shall certify its decision with respect 2 1 to the protest to the county auditor and to the parties to the 2 2 appeal as provided by rule, and the decision shall be final. 2 3 Sec. 3. Section 384.19, Code 2005, is amended by adding 2 4 the following new unnumbered paragraph: 2 5 NEW UNNUMBERED PARAGRAPH. For purposes of a protest to the 2 6 adopted budget, "item" means a budgeted expenditure, 2 7 appropriation, or cash reserve from a fund for a service area, 2 8 program, program element, or purpose. 2 9 EXPLANATION 2 10 This bill provides that a protest filed to a county or city 2 11 budget shall, in detail, describe the item or items being 2 12 protested. The bill further provides that the hearing on a 2 13 protest filed to a county or city budget shall be limited to 2 14 consideration of those items described in the written protest. 2 15 The bill defines "item" as a budgeted expenditure, 2 16 appropriation, or cash reserve from a fund for a service area, 2 17 program, program element, or purpose. 2 18 LSB 2405XS 81 2 19 sc:nh/gg/14.1