2023 Iowa Code › Title IX - LOCAL GOVERNMENT › Chapter 331 - COUNTY HOME RULE IMPLEMENTATION › Section 331.210A - Temporary county redistricting commission.

331.210A Temporary county redistricting commission.
1. Appointment of members.
a. Not later than May 15 of each year ending in one, a temporary county redistricting commission shall be established as provided by this section for counties which have either plan “two” or plan “three” supervisor representation plans. If a county has either plan “two” or plan “three” supervisor representation plans and the number of members of the board is increased or decreased under section 331.203 or 331.204, the temporary county redistricting commission shall be established by May 15 of the year preceding the year of the next general election.
b. The board shall determine the size of the membership of the temporary county redistricting commission which may be three, five, or seven in number. The minimum number of members constituting a majority of the membership shall be appointed by the majority party members of the board. The remaining number of members of the temporary county redistricting commission shall be appointed by the minority party members of the board. If the members of the board are all members of one political party or if the minority members of the board are not all members of only one political party, the minority representation of the temporary county redistricting commission shall be appointed by the chair of the county central committee for the party, other than the party of the majority members of the board, which received the most votes in that county cast for its candidate for president of the United States or for governor at the last preceding general election, as the case may be. If that party’s county central committee has no chair, the appointments shall be made by the chair of that party’s state central committee.
c. A member of the county board of supervisors may be appointed as a member of the temporary county redistricting commission. No person shall be appointed to the temporary county redistricting commission who is not an eligible elector of the county at the time of appointment.
d. A vacancy on the temporary county redistricting commission shall be filled by the initial selecting authority within fifteen days after the vacancy occurs.
e. Members of the temporary county redistricting commission shall receive a per diem as specified by the board, travel expenses at the rate provided by section 70A.9, and reimbursement for other necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties.
f. Each of the appointing authorities shall certify to the county commissioner of elections the authority’s appointment of a person to serve on the temporary county redistricting commission.
2. Adoption of plans.
a. The temporary county redistricting commission, upon appointment, shall acquire official census population data from the latest federal decennial census including the corresponding census maps and shall use that information in drawing and adopting the county’s supervisor districting plan. The commission shall draw the plan, to the extent applicable, in accordance with section 42.4. If the county has a plan “three” supervisor representation plan, the temporary county redistricting commission shall also draw and adopt the county’s corresponding precinct plan in accordance with sections 49.3, 49.4, and 49.6.
b. After the temporary county redistricting commission has finished its preliminary proposed county supervisor districting plan and corresponding precinct plan, if applicable, the commission shall at the earliest feasible time make available to the public all of the following information:
(1) Copies of the legal description of the plans.
(2) Maps illustrating the plans.
(3) A summary of the standards prescribed by law for development of the plans.
(4) A statement of the population of each district included in the plan, and the relative deviation of each district population from the ideal district population.
(5) A statement of the population of each precinct, if applicable.
c. Upon the completion of the county’s preliminary proposed plans, the temporary county redistricting commission shall do all of the following:
(1) As expeditiously as possible, schedule and conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed plans.
(2) Allow members of the public to present alternative plans at the public hearing.
(3) Following the hearings, promptly prepare and make available to the public a report summarizing information and testimony received by the temporary county redistricting commission in the course of the hearings. The report shall include any comments and conclusions which its members deem appropriate regarding the information and testimony received at the hearings, or otherwise presented to the temporary county redistricting commission.
d. (1) After the requirements of paragraphs “a” through “c” have been met, the temporary county redistricting commission shall adopt a supervisor district plan and corresponding precinct plan, if applicable, and shall submit the plan to the board of supervisors for their approval. Prior to adoption of a plan by the commission, any member of the temporary county redistricting commission may submit precinct or district plans to the commission for a vote, either independently or as an amendment to a plan presented by other members of the commission.
(2) The board of supervisors shall review the plan submitted by the temporary county redistricting commission and shall approve or reject the plan. If the plan is rejected, the board shall give written reasons for the rejection of the plan and shall direct the commission to prepare a second plan. The board of supervisors may amend the second plan submitted for approval by the commission. Any amendment must be accompanied by a written statement declaring that the amendment is necessary to bring the submitted plan closer in conformity to the standards in section 42.4.
e. (1) The plan approved by the board of supervisors shall be submitted to the state commissioner of elections for approval. If the state commissioner or the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board finds that the plan does not meet the standards of section 42.4, the state commissioner shall reject the plan, and the board of supervisors shall direct the commission to prepare and adopt an acceptable plan.
(2) For purposes of determining whether the standards of section 42.4 have been met, an eligible elector may file a complaint with the state commissioner of elections within fourteen days after a plan is approved by the board of supervisors of the county in which the eligible elector resides, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, alleging that the plan was drawn for improper political reasons as described in section 42.4, subsection 5. If a complaint is filed with the state commissioner of elections, the state commissioner shall forward the complaint to the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board established in section 68B.32 for resolution.
(3) If, after the initial proposed supervisor district plan or precinct plan has been submitted to the state commissioner for approval, it is necessary for the temporary county redistricting commission to make subsequent attempts at adopting an acceptable plan, the subsequent plans do not require public hearings.
f. (1) (a) For purposes of this paragraph “f”, “qualifying county” means a county that elects supervisors under plan “three” as defined in section 331.206, or a county with a population of one hundred eighty thousand or more that has adopted a charter for a city-county consolidated form of government or a community commonwealth form of government and which charter provides for representation by districts.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, for a qualifying county, the legislative services agency, and not the temporary county redistricting commission, shall draw a representation plan as provided by paragraph “a”.
(c) A county subject to the requirements of this paragraph “f” shall notify the state commissioner of elections that a representation plan to be drawn pursuant to this paragraph “f” is required and shall submit to the state commissioner of elections the precinct plan to be used to draw the representation plan. Upon notification and submission of a precinct plan, the state commissioner of elections shall review and approve the precinct plan to be used. Following approval of the precinct plan to be used, the state commissioner of elections shall notify the legislative council which shall direct the legislative services agency to prepare a representation plan for the county.
(d) The plan drawn by the legislative services agency shall be based upon the precinct plan adopted and approved for use by the county and shall be drawn in accordance with section 42.4, to the extent applicable. After the legislative services agency has drawn the plan, the legislative services agency shall at the earliest feasible time make available to the public all of the information required to be made public by paragraph “b”.
(2) The legislative services agency shall submit the plan to the governing body, and the governing body shall comply with the duties required by paragraph “c”, to the extent applicable.
(3) After the requirements of paragraphs “a” through “c” have been met, the governing body shall review the plan submitted by the legislative services agency and shall approve or reject the plan. If the plan is rejected, the governing body shall give written reasons for the rejection and shall direct the legislative services agency to prepare a second plan, as provided in paragraph “d”. The second plan may be amended by the governing body in accordance with the provisions of paragraph “d”. After receiving the second plan, the governing body shall approve either the first plan or the second plan.
(4) The governing body, after approving a plan, shall comply with the requirements of paragraph “e”.
3. Open meetings and public records. Chapters 21 and 22 shall apply to the temporary county redistricting commission.
4. Termination. The terms of the members of the temporary county redistricting commission shall expire twenty days following the date the county’s supervisor district plan and corresponding precinct plan, if applicable, are approved or imposed by the state commissioner of elections under sections 49.7 and 331.209.
94 Acts, ch 1179, §23; 2004 Acts, ch 1066, §1, 31; 2008 Acts, ch 1115, §107; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §48; 2018 Acts, ch 1151, §5, 6
Referred to in §49.8, 68B.32A, 331.209, 331.238, 331.248, 331.261