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S.B. 58 Enrolled

                 

OPTIONAL FORMS OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTS

                 
2000 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: R. Mont Evans

                  AN ACT RELATING TO COUNTIES; MODIFYING THE PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTING AN
                  OPTIONAL FORM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT; ADDING AN ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL
                  FORM; CLARIFYING OPTIONAL PLAN REQUIREMENTS; PROHIBITING AN OPTIONAL
                  PLAN FROM INCLUDING CERTAIN FEATURES; MAKING CONFORMING CHANGES;
                  AND MAKING TECHNICAL CHANGES.
                  This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
                  AMENDS:
                      17-5-101, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 147, Laws of Utah 1994
                      17-5-103, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 147, Laws of Utah 1994
                      17-5-201, as renumbered and amended by Chapters 146 and 147, Laws of Utah 1994
                      17-16-2, as last amended by Chapter 38, Laws of Utah 1993
                      17-35a-204, as last amended by Chapter 265, Laws of Utah 1999
                      17-35a-401, as enacted by Chapter 369, Laws of Utah 1998
                      17-35a-402, as enacted by Chapter 369, Laws of Utah 1998
                  ENACTS:
                      17-35a-205, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      17-35a-505, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. Section 17-5-101 is amended to read:
                       17-5-101. County commissioners -- Number.
                      [Each] Unless it has adopted the expanded county commission form of government under
                  Section 17-35a-505 , each county that operates under a county commissioner form of government
                  shall have a board of county commissioners consisting of three members.
                      Section 2. Section 17-5-103 is amended to read:
                       17-5-103. Term of office -- Multiple vacancies in same election.


                      (1) County commissioners shall:
                      (a) be elected for a four-year term in each county at the general election before the expiration
                  of the term of office of incumbents; and
                      (b) hold office for the term for which elected and until a successor is elected and has
                  qualified.
                      (2) (a) [Whenever two] If multiple county commission positions are vacant for a general
                  election, they are designated "county commissioner A," [and] "county commissioner B[.]," and so
                  on as necessary for the number of vacant positions.
                      (b) At the time a candidate for the county commission files a declaration of candidacy for a
                  county commission position when there are [two] multiple positions vacant, [he] the candidate shall
                  designate on the declaration of candidacy form [whether he] the letter of the county commissioner
                  seat for which the candidate is a candidate [for county commissioner A or county commissioner B].
                      (c) No person may file a declaration of candidacy for, be a candidate for, or be elected to
                  [two] more than one county commission [positions] position in one general election.
                      (3) County commissioners-elect shall take office on the first Monday in January following
                  their election.
                      Section 3. Section 17-5-201 is amended to read:
                       17-5-201. Chair -- Oaths -- Quorum.
                      Each county legislative body shall elect one of their number chair. The chair shall preside at
                  all meetings of the county legislative body, and in case of [his] the chair's absence or inability to act
                  the members present [must] shall, by an order entered in their minutes, select one of their number to
                  act as chair temporarily. Any member of the county legislative body may administer oaths to any
                  person when necessary in the performance of [his] the member's official duties. Not less than [two]
                  a majority of all members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and no act of the
                  county legislative body shall be valid or binding unless [two] a majority of all members present when
                  a quorum is present concur therein.
                      Section 4. Section 17-16-2 is amended to read:
                       17-16-2. County officers enumerated.

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                      (1) The elected officers of a county are: [three]
                      (a) (i) in a county operating under a county commission form of government under Chapter
                  5, Part 1, County Commission Form of Government, or the expanded county commission form of
                  government under Section 17-35a-505 , county commissioners[,]; or
                      (ii) in a county operating under one of the optional forms of county government under
                  Chapter 35a, Optional Forms of County Government Act, other than the expanded county
                  commission form of government, county legislative body members and the county executive;
                      (b) a county treasurer, a sheriff, a county clerk, a county auditor, a county recorder, a county
                  attorney, a district attorney in a county which is part of a prosecution district, a county surveyor, and
                  a county assessor[,]; and
                      (c) any others provided by law[; but].
                      (2) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), in counties having a taxable value of less than
                  $100,000,000 the county clerk shall be ex officio auditor of the county and shall perform the duties
                  of the office without extra compensation.
                      Section 5. Section 17-35a-204 is amended to read:
                       17-35a-204. Election on proposed optional plan -- Procedure.
                      (1) Subject to Section 17-35a-203.5 , the county legislative body shall hold an election if an
                  optional plan is proposed:
                      (a) by a resolution adopted under Subsection 17-35a-202 (2)(e);
                      (b) in a petition filed under Subsection 17-35a-203 (2)(a) that is certified under Subsection
                  17-35a-203 (4)(a)(ii)(A); or
                      (c) in a study committee report filed under Subsection 17-35a-303 (3)(d).
                      (2) Each election under Subsection (1) shall be held at the next regular general or municipal
                  general election that is no less than two months after the county clerk's receipt of the attorney general
                  statement under Section 17-35a-203.5 .
                      (3) The county legislative body shall prepare the ballot for each election under Subsection
                  (1) so that the question on the ballot:
                      (a) clearly, accurately, and impartially presents the proposition to be voted on; and

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                      (b) does not constitute an argument or create prejudice for or against the proposition.
                      (4) The county legislative body shall:
                      (a) cause the complete text of the proposed optional plan to be published in a newspaper of
                  general circulation within the county at least once during two different calendar weeks within the
                  30-day period immediately before the date of the election under Subsection (1);
                      (b) make a complete copy of the optional plan available free of charge to any member of the
                  public who requests a copy; and
                      (c) if the optional plan is proposed by a study committee report filed under Subsection
                  17-35a-303 (3)(d), make a complete copy of the study committee's report available free of charge to
                  any member of the public who requests a copy.
                      (5) If an optional plan proposed as a result of a process initiated by the county legislative
                  body and an optional plan proposed as a result of a process initiated by registered voters are both
                  scheduled for the same election:
                      (a) both proposals shall appear on the same ballot;
                      (b) a voter may vote for or against each proposal; and
                      (c) if both proposals receive a majority vote of those voting, the proposal with more votes
                  shall prevail and the other shall be considered rejected.
                      Section 6. Section 17-35a-205 is enacted to read:
                      17-35a-205. Election of officers under optional plan.
                      If an optional plan is adopted by voters at an election under Section 17-35a-204 held on or
                  after May 1, 2000, the elected county officers specified in the plan shall be elected according to the
                  regular primary election and regular general election procedure and schedule established under Title
                  20A, Election Code, for the election of county officers.
                      Section 7. Section 17-35a-401 is amended to read:
                       17-35a-401. Contents of proposed optional plan.
                      (1) (a) [Each] Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), each optional plan proposed under
                  this chapter shall:
                      [(a)] (i) [specify the] propose the adoption of one of the optional [form] forms of county

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                  government [that is being proposed] listed in Subsection 17-35a-402 (1)(a);
                      [(b)] (ii) contain detailed provisions relating to the transition from the existing form of county
                  government to the form proposed in the optional plan, including provisions relating to the:
                      [(i)] (A) election or appointment of officers specified in the optional plan for the new form
                  of county government;
                      [(ii)] (B) continuity of existing offices and officers;
                      [(iii)] (C) continuity of existing ordinances and regulations;
                      [(iv)] (D) continuation of pending legislative, administrative, or judicial proceedings;
                      [(v)] (E) making of interim and temporary appointments; and
                      [(vi)] (F) preparation, approval, and adjustment of necessary budget appropriations; and
                      [(c)] (iii) notwithstanding any other provision of this title, provide that, with respect to the
                  county budget, the county auditor's role is to be the budget officer and to project county revenues,
                  the county executive's role is to propose the budget, and the county legislative body's role is to adopt
                  the budget.
                      (b) Subsection (1)(a)(iii) does not apply to an optional plan that proposes the adoption of the
                  expanded county commission form of government under Section 17-35a-505 .
                      (2) Subject to Subsection (3), an optional plan may include provisions that are considered
                  necessary or advisable to the effective operation of the proposed optional plan.
                      (3) An optional plan may not include any provision that is inconsistent with or prohibited by
                  the Utah Constitution or any statute.
                      (4) Each optional plan proposing to change the form of government to a form under Section
                  17-35a-501 , 17-35a-502 , 17-35a-503 , or 17-35a-504 shall:
                      (a) provide for the same executive and legislative officers as are specified in the applicable
                  section for the form of government being proposed by the optional plan;
                      [(a)] (b) provide for the election of the county council;
                      (c) specify the number of county council members, which shall be an odd number from three
                  to nine;
                      [(b)] (d) specify whether the members of the county council are to be elected from districts,

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                  at large, or by a combination of at large and by district;
                      [(c)] (e) specify county council members' qualifications and terms and whether the terms are
                  to be staggered;
                      [(d) state the grounds for and methods of removal of county council members from office;]
                      [(e)] (f) contain procedures for filling vacancies on the county council, consistent with the
                  provisions of Sections 17-5-104 and 20A-1-508 ; and
                      [(f)] (g) state the initial compensation, if any, of county council members and procedures for
                  prescribing and changing compensation.
                      (5) Each optional plan proposing to change the form of government to the expanded county
                  commission form under Section 17-35a-505 shall specify:
                      (a) the number of county commission members, which shall be five or seven;
                      (b) the terms of office for county commission members and whether the terms are to be
                  staggered;
                      (c) whether members of the county commission are to be elected from districts, at large, or
                  by a combination of at large and from districts; and
                      (d) if any members of the county commission are to be elected from districts, the district
                  residency requirements for those commission members.
                      Section 8. Section 17-35a-402 is amended to read:
                       17-35a-402. Plan shall propose adoption of one of specified optional forms of county
                  government -- County executive -- Plan may propose change of structural form.
                      (1) [An] (a) Each optional plan [may] shall propose changing the form of county government
                  to:
                      [(a)] (i) the county [commissioner] commission form under Title 17, Chapter 5, Part 1,
                  County [Commissioner] Commission Form of Government;
                      [(b)] (ii) executive and chief administrative officer-council form under Section 17-35a-501 ;
                      [(c)] (iii) the county executive and council form under Section 17-35a-502 ;
                      [(d)] (iv) the council-manager form under Section 17-35a-503 ; [or]
                      [(e)] (v) the council and county administrative officer form under Section 17-35a-504 [.]; or

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                      (vi) the expanded county commission form under Section 17-35a-505 .
                      (b) An optional plan may not:
                      (i) propose changing the form of county government to a form of government not included
                  in Subsection (1)(a);
                      (ii) provide for the nonpartisan election of elected officers; or
                      (iii) impose a limit on the number of terms or years an elected official may serve.
                      (2) (a) If an optional plan proposes changing the form of county government to a form that
                  has a separate county executive, the county executive may be:
                      (i) an individual elected at large in the county; or
                      (ii) a county executive body consisting of at least three members, elected at large or by
                  district or a combination of both, as provided in the optional plan.
                      (b) An optional plan that proposes changing to a form of government with an executive body,
                  as provided in Subsection (2)(a)(ii), may divide the executive duties among the members of the
                  executive body.
                      (3) In addition to proposing the adoption of any one of the optional forms of county
                  government under Subsection (1), an optional plan may also propose the adoption of any one of the
                  structural forms of county government provided under Chapter 35b, Part 3, Structural Forms of
                  County Government.
                      Section 9. Section 17-35a-505 is enacted to read:
                      17-35a-505. Expanded county commission form of county government.
                      A county operating under the form of government known as the "expanded county
                  commission" form shall be governed by a county commission, as provided under Chapter 5, Part 1,
                  County Commission Form of Government, except that the number of commissioners may be five or
                  seven.

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