House File 125 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 125 BY JONES and PAUSTIAN A BILL FOR An Act abolishing county compensation boards. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1977YH (1) 89 js/ns

H.F. 125 Section 1. Section 331.212, subsection 2, Code 2021, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . i. Setting the compensation schedule of the 3 elected county officers. 4 Sec. 2. Section 331.321, subsection 1, paragraph l, Code 5 2021, is amended by striking the paragraph. 6 Sec. 3. Section 331.322, subsection 6, Code 2021, is amended 7 to read as follows: 8 6. Review Annually prepare and review the final 9 compensation schedule of the county compensation board and 10 determine the final compensation schedule in accordance with 11 section 331.907 . 12 Sec. 4. Section 331.322, subsection 7, Code 2021, is amended 13 by striking the subsection. 14 Sec. 5. Section 331.323, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 15 2021, is amended to read as follows: 16 e. When If the duties of an officer or employee are assigned 17 to one or more elected officers, the board shall set the an 18 initial salary for each elected officer . Thereafter, the 19 salary and, thereafter, shall be determined determine the 20 salary as provided in section 331.907 . 21 Sec. 6. Section 331.907, subsections 1, 2, 3, and 4, Code 22 2021, are amended to read as follows: 23 1. The annual compensation of the auditor, treasurer, 24 recorder, sheriff, county attorney, and supervisors shall 25 be determined as provided in this section . The county 26 compensation board annually shall review the compensation 27 paid to comparable officers in other counties of this state, 28 other states, private enterprise, and the federal government. 29 In setting the salary of the county sheriff, the county 30 compensation board shall consider setting the sheriff’s salary 31 so that it is comparable to salaries paid to professional 32 law enforcement administrators and command officers of the 33 state patrol, the division of criminal investigation of the 34 department of public safety, and city police agencies in 35 -1- LSB 1977YH (1) 89 js/ns 1/ 3

H.F. 125 this state. The county compensation board shall prepare a 1 compensation schedule for the elective county officers for the 2 succeeding fiscal year. A recommended compensation schedule 3 requires a majority vote of the membership of the county 4 compensation board. 5 2. At the public hearing held on the county budget as 6 provided in section 331.434 , the county compensation board 7 shall submit its recommended compensation schedule for the 8 next fiscal year to the board of supervisors for inclusion 9 in the county budget. The board of supervisors shall review 10 the recommended compensation schedule for the elected county 11 officers and determine the final compensation schedule which 12 shall not exceed the compensation schedule recommended by 13 the county compensation board. In determining the final 14 compensation schedule if the board of supervisors wishes to 15 reduce the amount of the recommended compensation schedule, 16 the amount of salary increase proposed for each elected 17 county officer, except as provided in subsection 3 , shall be 18 reduced an equal percentage. A copy of the final compensation 19 schedule shall be filed with the county budget at the office 20 of the director of the department of management. The final 21 compensation schedule takes effect on July 1 following its 22 adoption by the board of supervisors . 23 3. The board of supervisors may adopt a decrease in 24 compensation paid to supervisors irrespective of the county 25 compensation board’s recommended compensation schedule or other 26 approved changes in compensation paid to other elected county 27 officers. A decrease in compensation paid to supervisors shall 28 be adopted by the board of supervisors no less than thirty days 29 before the county budget is certified under section 24.17 . 30 4. The elected county officers are also entitled to receive 31 their actual and necessary expenses incurred in performance 32 of official duties of their respective offices. The board 33 of supervisors may authorize the reimbursement of expenses 34 related to an educational course, seminar, or school which that 35 -2- LSB 1977YH (1) 89 js/ns 2/ 3

H.F. 125 is attended by a county officer after the county officer is 1 elected, but prior to the county officer taking office. 2 Sec. 7. REPEAL. Section 331.905, Code 2021, is repealed. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 This bill eliminates county compensation boards. The bill 7 grants county boards of supervisors the responsibility of 8 annually preparing and reviewing the compensation schedule 9 for certain county officers. Under current law, a county 10 compensation board annually prepares a recommended compensation 11 schedule for certain county officials for a succeeding fiscal 12 year subject to adoption by the county board of supervisors. 13 -3- LSB 1977YH (1) 89 js/ns 3/ 3