HF 157 (LSB 1946YH (4) 91)

HOUSE FILE 157

BY  BARKER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to petitions for special elections to fill vacancies in city offices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 372.13, subsection 2, paragraph a, subparagraph (2), unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   If the council chooses to proceed under this paragraph, it shall publish notice in the manner prescribed by section 362.3, stating that the council intends to fill the vacancy by appointment but that the electors of the city or ward, as the case may be, have the right to file a petition requiring that the vacancy be filled by a special election if the remaining balance of the unexpired term is at least one year. The council may publish notice in advance if an elected official submits a resignation to take effect at a future date. The council may make an appointment to fill the vacancy after the notice is published or after the vacancy occurs, whichever is later. However, if within fourteen days after publication of the notice or within fourteen days after the appointment is made, there is filed with the city clerk a petition which requests a special election to fill the vacancy and the remaining balance of the unexpired term is at least one year, an appointment to fill the vacancy is temporary and the council shall call a special election to fill the vacancy permanently, under paragraph “b”. The number of signatures of eligible electors of a city for a valid petition shall be determined as follows:
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the filling of vacancies in elective city offices. If a city council chooses to fill a vacancy in an elective city office by appointment, the bill allows eligible electors of a city to submit a petition to fill the vacancy by a special election only if the remaining balance of the unexpired term is at least one year.