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H.B. 305

             1     

COUNTY APPOINTED OFFICERS

             2     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Keith Grover

             5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions relating to county officers.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    makes the county offices of treasurer, sheriff, clerk, auditor, recorder, surveyor, and
             13      assessor appointed rather than elected;
             14          .    requires those officers to be appointed by:
             15              .    the county executive, with the consent of the county legislative body, in a
             16      county operating under a county executive-council form of government; and
             17              .    the county commission or council, in a county operating under another form of
             18      government; and
             19          .    makes technical and conforming changes.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          17-16-3, as last amended by Chapter 3, Laws of Utah 2006
             27          17-16-4, Utah Code Annotated 1953



             28          17-17-2, as last amended by Chapter 214, Laws of Utah 2001
             29          17-22-1.5, as last amended by Chapter 140, Laws of Utah 2003
             30          17-23-1, as last amended by Chapter 241, Laws of Utah 2001
             31          17-53-101, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 133, Laws of Utah 2000
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 17-16-3 is amended to read:
             35           17-16-3. Consolidation of offices.
             36          (1) A county legislative body may, unless prohibited by Subsection (2), pass an
             37      ordinance that:
             38          (a) consolidates county offices and establishes the duties of those consolidated offices;
             39          (b) separates any previously consolidated offices and reconsolidates them; or
             40          (c) separates any previously consolidated offices without reconsolidating them.
             41          (2) A county legislative body may not:
             42          (a) consolidate the offices of county commissioner, county council member, or county
             43      treasurer with the office of county auditor;
             44          (b) consolidate the office of county executive with the office of county auditor, unless a
             45      referendum approving that consolidation passes; or
             46          (c) consolidate the offices of county commissioner, county council member, county
             47      executive, county assessor, or county auditor with the office of county treasurer.
             48          (3) Each county legislative body shall ensure that any ordinance consolidating or
             49      separating county offices:
             50          (a) is enacted before the February 1 of the year in which county officers are elected;
             51      and
             52          (b) takes effect on the first Monday in January after the year in which county officers
             53      are elected.
             54          (4) (a) Each county legislative body shall[: (i)] enact an ordinance by February 1, 2010,
             55      separating any county offices that are prohibited from consolidation by this section[; and].
             56          [(ii) publish, by February 15, 2010, a notice once in a newspaper of general circulation
             57      in the county identifying the county offices that will be filled in the November 2010 election.]
             58          (b) [(i)] If a county legislative body has, by February 1, 2006, enacted an ordinance, in


             59      compliance with this Subsection (4) then in effect, separating county offices that are prohibited
             60      from consolidation by this section, the county legislative body may repeal that ordinance.
             61          [(ii) If a county legislative body has published notice in a newspaper identifying the
             62      county offices that will be filled in the November 2006 election, and that notice, because of a
             63      repeal of an ordinance under Subsection (4)(b)(i), is incorrect, the county legislative body shall
             64      publish notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county indicating that the
             65      previous notice was incorrect and correctly identifying the county offices that will be filled in
             66      the November 2006 election.]
             67          Section 2. Section 17-16-4 is amended to read:
             68           17-16-4. Officer in a consolidated office.
             69          [When] If offices are [united and] consolidated [but one person shall be elected to fill
             70      the offices so united and consolidated, and he must], the person filling the offices that have
             71      been consolidated shall take the oath and give the bond required for, and discharge all the
             72      duties pertaining to, each.
             73          Section 3. Section 17-17-2 is amended to read:
             74           17-17-2. Assessor to be state qualified -- Vacancy -- Filling vacancy.
             75          (1) In addition to the requirements of Section 17-16-1 , any person [elected] appointed
             76      to the office of county assessor after [November 1, 1993] April 30, 2007, shall be a
             77      state-licensed or state-certified appraiser as defined in Title 61, Chapter 2b, Real Estate
             78      Appraiser Licensing and Certification Act, prior to the expiration of 36 months from the day on
             79      which his term of office begins.
             80          (2) (a) If an assessor fails to meet the requirement of this section, the assessor's office
             81      is automatically vacant.
             82          (b) (i) In the event of a vacancy under this section, the county executive shall fill the
             83      vacancy in the manner provided for in Sections 17-53-104 and 20A-1-508 . However, a person
             84      selected to fill the vacancy must be a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser within six
             85      months after assuming the office of county assessor.
             86          (ii) If a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser cannot be found to fill a vacancy
             87      which resulted from the requirements of this section, the county executive may contract with a
             88      state-licensed or state-certified appraiser from outside the county to fill the remainder of the
             89      term in the office of county assessor.


             90          Section 4. Section 17-22-1.5 is amended to read:
             91           17-22-1.5. County sheriff qualifications.
             92          (1) Each person [filing a declaration of candidacy for] appointed to the office of county
             93      sheriff shall:
             94          (a) (i) have successfully met the standards and training requirements established for
             95      law enforcement officers under Title 53, Chapter 6, Part 2, Peace Officer Training and
             96      Certification Act; or
             97          (ii) have passed a certification examination as provided in Section 53-6-206 ; and
             98          (b) be qualified to be certified as a law enforcement officer, as defined in Section
             99      53-13-103 .
             100          (2) In addition to the general qualifications required of county officers by Title 17,
             101      Chapter 16, County Officers, each county sheriff shall:
             102          (a) at the time of taking office:
             103          (i) (A) have successfully met the standards and training requirements established for
             104      law enforcement officers under Title 53, Chapter 6, Part 2, Peace Officer Training and
             105      Certification Act; or
             106          (B) have passed a certification examination as provided in Section 53-6-206 ; and
             107          (ii) be qualified to be certified as a law enforcement officer, as defined in Section
             108      53-13-103 ; [and]
             109          (b) satisfactorily complete annual certified training as required in Section 53-13-103 ;
             110      and
             111          (c) after certification as provided in Subsection (2)(a), remain certified as a law
             112      enforcement officer during the sheriff's term of office.
             113          (3) The county legislative body shall declare the office of sheriff to be vacant if at any
             114      time the incumbent sheriff fails to meet the legal qualifications for office under Subsection (2).
             115          Section 5. Section 17-23-1 is amended to read:
             116           17-23-1. County surveyor to be appointed -- Requirement to be licensed land
             117      surveyor -- Authority to contract with licensed land surveyor -- County surveyor duties.
             118          (1) (a) The office of the county surveyor in each county shall be filled by [election]
             119      appointment, as provided in Section 17-53-101 , and, except as provided in Subsection (1)(b),
             120      the county surveyor shall be a licensed professional land surveyor in the state.


             121          (b) In a county where the office of county surveyor is consolidated with another
             122      [elected] office, all county surveying work shall be performed by a licensed professional land
             123      surveyor.
             124          [(c) In a county where there is no elected county surveyor:]
             125          (c) (i) [the] The county executive [or legislative body] may, with the consent of the
             126      county legislative body and consistent with Section 17-53-313 , contract with a licensed
             127      professional land surveyor to perform [those] the county surveyor duties[;].
             128          (ii) In a county where the county executive contracts with a licensed professional land
             129      surveyor to perform county surveyor duties:
             130          [(ii)] (A) all county survey work shall be done by a licensed land surveyor;
             131          [(iii)] (B) the county recorder shall assume and perform all statutory functions and
             132      duties of the county surveyor related to the retention and maintenance of survey records;
             133          [(iv)] (C) the recorder's office shall act as the county surveyor's office only for the
             134      purpose of accepting, retaining, and managing county survey records;
             135          [(v)] (D) the county shall furnish sufficient office space, furniture, stationery, and
             136      record books necessary for the county recorder's office to fulfill its functions and duties under
             137      Subsection (1)(c)[(iv)](ii)(C); and
             138          [(vi)] (E) for purposes of this chapter, "county surveyor" means:
             139          [(A)] (I) for purposes of the retention and management of county survey records, the
             140      county recorder; and
             141          [(B)] (II) except as provided in Subsection (1)(c)[(vi)(A)](ii)(E)(I), the licensed land
             142      surveyor under contract with the county to perform county surveyor duties.
             143          (2) The county surveyor shall execute:
             144          (a) all orders directed to the surveyor by any court; and
             145          (b) all orders of survey required by the county executive or county legislative body.
             146          (3) (a) The surveyor of each county shall:
             147          (i) advise the county executive and county legislative body regarding all surveying
             148      work;
             149          (ii) perform or arrange for the performance of all surveying work for the county;
             150          (iii) permanently keep at county government offices at the county seat a fair and
             151      accurate record of all surveys made, including legal descriptions and geographic coordinates,


             152      all surveys received pursuant to Section 17-23-17 , and all corner files received pursuant to
             153      Section 17-23-17.5 ;
             154          (iv) number progressively all surveys received and state by whom and for whom the
             155      surveys were made;
             156          (v) deliver a copy of any survey to any person or court requiring the survey after the
             157      payment of the fee established by the county legislative body;
             158          (vi) ensure that all surveys of legal subdivisions of sections are made according to the
             159      United States Manual of Surveying Instructions in effect at the time the survey is completed;
             160          (vii) verify the correctness of or establish correct coordinates for all survey reference
             161      monuments set in place and shown on all subdivision maps and plats which have a spatial
             162      relationship with any section or quarter section corner; and
             163          (viii) perform other duties required by law.
             164          (b) In arranging for the performance of surveying work for the county under Subsection
             165      (3)(a)(ii), a surveyor may comply with Section 17-53-313 .
             166          (4) (a) The county surveyor or his designee shall establish all corners of government
             167      surveys and reestablish all corners of government surveys where corners have been destroyed
             168      and where witness markers or other evidences of the government corners remain so that the
             169      corners established by government survey can be positively located.
             170          (b) The corners shall be reestablished in the manner provided in Section 17-23-13 for
             171      establishing corners.
             172          (c) The county surveyor shall keep a separate record of the established and
             173      reestablished corners of government surveys, giving the date and names of persons present and
             174      shall provide those records to his successor when he vacates his office.
             175          (d) Established or reestablished corners shall be recognized as the legal and permanent
             176      corners.
             177          (5) The county executive or legislative body may direct the county surveyor or his staff
             178      to perform engineering and architectural work if the county surveyor or his staff is qualified
             179      and licensed to perform that work.
             180          Section 6. Section 17-53-101 is amended to read:
             181           17-53-101. County officers enumerated.
             182          (1) The elected officers of a county are:


             183          (a) (i) in a county operating under a county commission or expanded county
             184      commission form of government, county commission members; or
             185          (ii) in a county operating under one of the other forms of county government under
             186      Subsection 17-52-402 (1)(a), county legislative body members and the county executive;
             187          (b) [a county treasurer, a sheriff, a county clerk, a county auditor, a county recorder,] a
             188      county attorney[, a district attorney] and, in a county which is part of a prosecution district, a
             189      [county surveyor, and a county assessor] district attorney; and
             190          (c) any others provided by law.
             191          [(2) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), in counties]
             192          (2) (a) The appointed officers of a county are a county treasurer, a sheriff, a county
             193      clerk, a county auditor, a county recorder, a county surveyor, and a county assessor.
             194          (b) Each officer listed in Subsection (2)(a) shall be appointed by:
             195          (i) the county executive, with the consent of the county legislative body, if the county
             196      operates under a county executive-council form of government; or
             197          (ii) the county commission or council, as the case may be, if the county operates under
             198      a county commission, expanded county commission, or council-manager form of government.
             199          (3) In a county having a taxable value of less than $100,000,000, the county clerk shall
             200      be ex officio auditor of the county and shall perform the duties of the office without extra
             201      compensation.




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    as of 1-16-07 10:04 AM


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