Senate Study Bill 1084 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL BY CHAIRPERSON TAYLOR) A BILL FOR An Act related to the compensation of elective county officers. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1650XC (4) 86 aw/sc
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 331.324, subsection 1, paragraph m, Code 1 2015, is amended to read as follows: 2 m. (1) Provide a deferred compensation program for any 3 employee, in accordance with section 509A.12 . 4 (2) The board shall annually adopt by resolution a limit 5 on the amount of money that is not matched by the county that 6 an elective county officer may contribute to the deferred 7 compensation program during the calendar year next following 8 adoption of the resolution. Before adopting the resolution, 9 the board shall consider the recommended limit prepared by 10 the county compensation board pursuant to section 331.907, 11 subsection 1, paragraph “b” . 12 Sec. 2. Section 331.401, Code 2015, is amended by adding the 13 following new subsections: 14 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. The board shall not approve for payment 15 a separation allowance or severance pay or compensation in 16 any form that is based upon length of service to the auditor, 17 treasurer, recorder, sheriff, or county attorney or to a 18 supervisor. 19 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. The board shall not approve combining 20 and paying in the aggregate any compensation, other than annual 21 salary, to the auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, or county 22 attorney or to a supervisor. 23 Sec. 3. Section 331.434, subsection 5, Code 2015, is amended 24 to read as follows: 25 5. a. After the hearing, the board shall adopt by 26 resolution a budget and certificate of taxes for the next 27 fiscal year and shall direct the auditor to properly certify 28 and file the budget and certificate of taxes as adopted. 29 The board shall not adopt a tax in excess of the estimate 30 published, except a tax which is approved by a vote of the 31 people, and a greater tax than that adopted shall not be levied 32 or collected. A county budget and certificate of taxes adopted 33 for the following fiscal year becomes effective on the first 34 day of that year. 35 -1- LSB 1650XC (4) 86 aw/sc 1/ 3
S.F. _____ b. If the budget to be approved pursuant to paragraph “a” 1 contains an increase in compensation from the county budget for 2 the prior fiscal year for one or more elective county offices, 3 the board shall first adopt a separate resolution to approve 4 the increase for inclusion in the budget. 5 Sec. 4. Section 331.907, subsection 1, Code 2015, is amended 6 to read as follows: 7 1. a. The annual compensation of the auditor, treasurer, 8 recorder, sheriff, county attorney, and supervisors shall 9 be determined as provided in this section . The county 10 compensation board annually shall review the compensation 11 paid to comparable officers in other counties of this state, 12 other states, private enterprise, and the federal government. 13 In setting the salary of the county sheriff, the county 14 compensation board shall consider setting the sheriff’s salary 15 so that it is comparable to salaries paid to professional 16 law enforcement administrators and command officers of the 17 state patrol, the division of criminal investigation of the 18 department of public safety, and city police agencies in this 19 state. 20 b. The county compensation board shall annually prepare 21 a recommended compensation schedule for the elective county 22 officers for the succeeding fiscal year. A recommended 23 compensation schedule requires a majority vote of the 24 membership of the county compensation board. The county 25 compensation board shall also annually prepare a recommended 26 limit on the amount of money that is not matched by the 27 county that an elective county officer may contribute to the 28 deferred contribution program provided pursuant to section 29 331.324, subsection 1, paragraph “m” , during the next following 30 calendar year for inclusion in the recommended compensation 31 schedule. Adoption of a recommended compensation schedule 32 and a recommended limit under this paragraph require separate 33 majority votes of the membership of the county compensation 34 board. 35 -2- LSB 1650XC (4) 86 aw/sc 2/ 3
S.F. _____ EXPLANATION 1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 This bill relates to the compensation of elective county 4 officers. 5 The bill requires that the county compensation board 6 annually prepare a recommended limit on the amount of money 7 not matched by the county that an elective county officer 8 may contribute to the county’s deferred compensation program 9 during the following calendar year for inclusion in the county 10 compensation board’s recommended compensation schedule. The 11 recommended limit is required to be approved by a separate 12 majority vote of the county compensation board. The bill also 13 requires that the county board of supervisors annually adopt a 14 resolution to set a contribution limit. 15 The bill also prohibits the board of supervisors from 16 approving payment of a separation allowance or severance pay 17 or compensation in any form that is based upon length of 18 service to the auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, or county 19 attorney or to a supervisor. The bill further prohibits the 20 board of supervisors from approving combining and paying in the 21 aggregate any compensation, other than annual salary, to the 22 auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, or county attorney or to 23 a supervisor. 24 The bill also requires that the board of supervisors adopt a 25 separate resolution if the board seeks to approve for inclusion 26 in the county budget an increase in compensation for one or 27 more elective county offices when compared to the prior fiscal 28 year. 29 -3- LSB 1650XC (4) 86 aw/sc 3/ 3