Senate File 2085 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY JOHNSON Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act allowing county boards of supervisors to establish the 2 number of members on agricultural extension councils and 3 providing for staggered terms of office. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5742XS 82 6 da/rj/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 176A.5, Code 2007, is amended to read 1 2 as follows: 1 3 176A.5 COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION COUNCIL. 1 4 1.There shall be elected in eachAn extensiondistrict an 1 5 extensioncouncilconsistingis established to govern each 1 6 extension district as provided in section 176A.4. 1 7 2. An extension council consists of nine members. 1 8 However, the county board of supervisors for that extension 1 9 district may adopt an ordinance to establish the membership of 1 10 the extension council. Such an ordinance must comply with all 1 11 of the following requirements: 1 12 a. The extension council must consist of five, seven, or 1 13 nine members. 1 14 b. The ordinance must provide for the staggered terms of 1 15 members without reducing the term of an elected member. 1 16 c. The ordinance must take effect at least ninety days 1 17 prior to the next election for members. 1 18 3. Each member of the extension council shall be a 1 19residentregistered voter of the extension district in which 1 20 they reside. 1 21 Sec. 2. Section 176A.7, subsection 1, Code 2007, is 1 22 amended to read as follows: 1 23 1.Except as otherwise provided pursuant to law for 1 24 members elected in 1990, theThe term of office of an 1 25 extension council member is four years. The term shall 1 26 commence on the first day of Januaryfollowing the date of the 1 27 member's electionwhich is not a Sunday or legal holiday 1 28 following the member's election. 1 29 EXPLANATION 1 30 This bill amends Code chapter 176A, which is known as the 1 31 "County Agricultural Extension Law". Code section 176A.4 1 32 currently establishes extension districts in each county 1 33 except for Pottawattamie county which is divided into two 1 34 districts. The bill amends Code section 176A.5 which provides 1 35 for the election of nine members who sit as the extension 2 1 council governing the extension district. Council members 2 2 serve for staggered terms of office. Thus, on January 2, 2 3 2009, four out of the nine members' terms expire and on 2 4 January 2, 2010, the remaining five members' terms expire (see 2 5 1990 Iowa Acts, ch. 1149). 2 6 The bill provides that the county board of supervisors for 2 7 the district may adopt an ordinance changing the number of 2 8 members on the extension council, subject to certain 2 9 conditions. First, there must be an odd number of members: 2 10 five, seven, or nine. Second, there cannot be a reduction in 2 11 the term of a member who has been elected. Finally, the 2 12 ordinance must take effect at least 90 days prior to the next 2 13 election. The bill contains no limitations on the frequency 2 14 of changes to the membership by the county board. 2 15 LSB 5742XS 82 2 16 da/rj/8