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H.B. 491

             1     

MIDTERM VACANCY AMENDMENTS

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: John Dougall

             5     
Senate Sponsor: John L. Valentine

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions relating to filling a midterm vacancy in an elected office in
             10      a municipality or on a local school board.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    requires a municipality and local school board to interview potential appointees in a
             14      public meeting;
             15          .    prohibits the discussion of filling a midterm vacancy in a closed meeting; and
             16          .    makes technical changes.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          None
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      AMENDS:
             23          20A-1-510, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 176
             24          20A-1-511, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1994, Chapter 108
             25          52-4-205, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 46 and 334
             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:


             28          Section 1. Section 20A-1-510 is amended to read:
             29           20A-1-510. Midterm vacancies in municipal offices.
             30          (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (2), if any vacancy occurs in the
             31      office of municipal executive or member of a municipal legislative body, the municipal
             32      legislative body shall appoint a registered voter in the municipality who meets the
             33      qualifications for office established in Section 10-3-301 to fill the unexpired term of the office
             34      vacated until the January following the next municipal election.
             35          (b) Before acting to fill the vacancy, the municipal legislative body shall:
             36          (i) give public notice of the vacancy at least two weeks before the municipal legislative
             37      body meets to fill the vacancy; [and]
             38          (ii) identify, in the notice:
             39          (A) the date, time, and place of the meeting where the vacancy will be filled;
             40          (B) the person to whom a person interested in being appointed to fill the vacancy may
             41      submit the interested person's name for consideration; and
             42          (C) the deadline for submitting an interested person's name[.]; and
             43          (iii) in an open meeting, interview each person whose name was submitted for
             44      consideration and meets the qualifications for office regarding the person's qualifications.
             45          (c) (i) If, for any reason, the municipal legislative body does not fill the vacancy within
             46      30 days after the vacancy occurs, the municipal legislative body shall fill the vacancy from
             47      among the names that have been submitted.
             48          (ii) The two persons having the highest number of votes of the municipal legislative
             49      body after a first vote is taken shall appear before the municipal legislative body and the
             50      municipal legislative body shall vote again.
             51          (iii) If neither candidate receives a majority vote of the municipal legislative body at
             52      that time, the vacancy shall be filled by lot in the presence of the municipal legislative body.
             53          (2) (a) A vacancy in the office of municipal executive or member of a municipal
             54      legislative body shall be filled by an interim appointment, followed by an election to fill a
             55      two-year term, if:
             56          (i) the vacancy occurs, or a letter of resignation is received, by the municipal executive
             57      at least 14 days before the deadline for filing for election in an odd-numbered year; and
             58          (ii) two years of the vacated term will remain after the first Monday of January


             59      following the next municipal election.
             60          (b) In appointing an interim replacement, the municipal legislative body shall:
             61          (i) comply with the notice requirements of this section[.]; and
             62          (ii) in an open meeting, interview each person whose name was submitted for
             63      consideration and meets the qualifications for office regarding the person's qualifications.
             64          (3) (a) In a municipality operating under the council-mayor form of government, as
             65      defined in Section 10-3b-102 :
             66          (i) the council may appoint a person to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor before the
             67      effective date of the mayor's resignation by making the effective date of the appointment the
             68      same as the effective date of the mayor's resignation; and
             69          (ii) if a vacancy in the office of mayor occurs before the effective date of an
             70      appointment under Subsection (1) or (2) to fill the vacancy, the council chair shall serve as
             71      acting mayor during the time between the creation of the vacancy and the effective date of the
             72      appointment to fill the vacancy.
             73          (b) While serving as acting mayor under Subsection (3)(a)(ii), the council chair
             74      continues to:
             75          (i) act as a council member; and
             76          (ii) vote at council meetings.
             77          Section 2. Section 20A-1-511 is amended to read:
             78           20A-1-511. Midterm vacancies on local school boards.
             79          (1) (a) A local school board shall fill vacancies on the board by appointment, except as
             80      otherwise provided in Subsection (2).
             81          (b) If the board fails to make an appointment within 30 days after a vacancy occurs, the
             82      county legislative body, or municipal legislative body in a city district, shall fill the vacancy by
             83      appointment.
             84          (c) A member appointed and qualified under this subsection shall serve until a
             85      successor is elected or appointed and qualified.
             86          (2) (a) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by an interim appointment, followed by
             87      an election to fill a two-year term if:
             88          (i) the vacancy on the board occurs, or a letter of resignation is received by the board,
             89      at least 14 days before the deadline for filing a declaration of candidacy; and


             90          (ii) two years of the vacated term will remain after the first Monday of January
             91      following the next school board election.
             92          (b) Members elected under this subsection shall serve for the remaining two years of
             93      the vacated term and until a successor is elected and qualified.
             94          (3) Before appointing a person to fill a vacancy under this section, the local school
             95      board shall:
             96          (a) give public notice of the vacancy at least two weeks before the local school board
             97      meets to fill the vacancy;
             98          (b) identify, in the notice:
             99          (i) the date, time, and place of the meeting where the vacancy will be filled; and
             100          (ii) the person to whom a person interested in being appointed to fill the vacancy may
             101      submit his name for consideration and any deadline for submitting it[.]; and
             102          (c) in an open meeting, interview each person whose name was submitted for
             103      consideration and meets the qualifications for office regarding the person's qualifications.
             104          Section 3. Section 52-4-205 is amended to read:
             105           52-4-205. Purposes of closed meetings.
             106          (1) A closed meeting described under Section 52-4-204 may only be held for:
             107          (a) except as provided in Subsection (3), discussion of the character, professional
             108      competence, or physical or mental health of an individual;
             109          (b) strategy sessions to discuss collective bargaining;
             110          (c) strategy sessions to discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation;
             111          (d) strategy sessions to discuss the purchase, exchange, or lease of real property,
             112      including any form of a water right or water shares, if public discussion of the transaction
             113      would:
             114          (i) disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property under consideration; or
             115          (ii) prevent the public body from completing the transaction on the best possible terms;
             116          (e) strategy sessions to discuss the sale of real property, including any form of a water
             117      right or water shares, if:
             118          (i) public discussion of the transaction would:
             119          (A) disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property under consideration; or
             120          (B) prevent the public body from completing the transaction on the best possible terms;


             121          (ii) the public body previously gave public notice that the property would be offered for
             122      sale; and
             123          (iii) the terms of the sale are publicly disclosed before the public body approves the
             124      sale;
             125          (f) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel, devices, or systems;
             126          (g) investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct;
             127          (h) as relates to the Independent Legislative Ethics Commission, conducting business
             128      relating to the receipt or review of ethics complaints;
             129          (i) as relates to an ethics committee of the Legislature, a purpose permitted under
             130      Subsection 52-4-204 (1)(a)(iii)(B);
             131          (j) as relates to a county legislative body, discussing commercial information as
             132      defined in Section 59-1-404 ;
             133          (k) as relates to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission issuing a retail license
             134      under Title 32B, Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, after receiving public input in a public
             135      meeting in support or opposition to the commission issuing the retail license, discussing one or
             136      more of the following factors in a closed meeting:
             137          (i) a factor the commission is required to consider under Section 32B-5-203 or that is
             138      specified in the relevant part under Title 32B, Chapter 6, Specific Retail License Act, for the
             139      type of retail license at issue;
             140          (ii) the availability of a retail license under a quota;
             141          (iii) the length of time the applicant has waited for a retail license;
             142          (iv) an opening date for the applicant;
             143          (v) whether the applicant is a seasonal business;
             144          (vi) whether the location of the applicant has been previously licensed or is a new
             145      location;
             146          (vii) whether the application involves a change of ownership of an existing location;
             147          (viii) whether the applicant holds other alcohol licenses at any location;
             148          (ix) whether the applicant has a violation history or a pending violation;
             149          (x) projected alcohol sales for the applicant as it relates to the extent to which the retail
             150      license will be used;
             151          (xi) whether the applicant is a small or entrepreneurial business that would benefit the


             152      community in which it would be located;
             153          (xii) the nature of entertainment the applicant proposes; or
             154          (xiii) public input in support or opposition to granting the retail license;
             155          (l) as relates to the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority and its appointed
             156      board of directors, discussing fiduciary or commercial information as defined in Section
             157      53B-12-102 ; or
             158          (m) a purpose for which a meeting is required to be closed under Subsection (2).
             159          (2) The following meetings shall be closed:
             160          (a) a meeting of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee to review a fatality
             161      review report described in Subsection 62A-16-301 (1)(a), and the responses to the report
             162      described in Subsections 62A-16-301 (2) and (4); and
             163          (b) a meeting of the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel to:
             164          (i) review a fatality review report described in Subsection 62A-16-301 (1)(a), and the
             165      responses to the report described in Subsections 62A-16-301 (2) and (4); or
             166          (ii) review and discuss an individual case, as described in Subsection 62A-4a-207 (5).
             167          (3) [A] In a closed meeting, a public body may not:
             168          (a) interview a person applying to fill an elected position [in a closed meeting.];
             169          (b) discuss filling a midterm vacancy or temporary absence governed by Title 20A,
             170      Chapter 1, Part 5, Candidate Vacancy and Vacancy and Temporary Absence in Elected Office;
             171      or
             172          (c) discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of the
             173      person whose name was submitted for consideration to fill a midterm vacancy or temporary
             174      absence governed by Title 20A, Chapter 1, Part 5, Candidate Vacancy and Vacancy and
             175      Temporary Absence in Elected Office.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-15-12 6:17 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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