2023 Iowa Code › Title IX - LOCAL GOVERNMENT › Chapter 331 - COUNTY HOME RULE IMPLEMENTATION › Section 331.323 - Powers relating to county officers — combining duties.

331.323 Powers relating to county officers — combining duties.
1. a. A county may combine the duties of two or more of the following county officers and employees as provided in this subsection:
(1) Sheriff.
(2) Treasurer.
(3) Recorder.
(4) Auditor.
(5) Medical examiner.
(6) General assistance director.
(7) County care facility administrator.
(8) Commission on veteran affairs.
(9) Executive officer of the service area advisory board.
(10) County assessor.
(11) County weed commissioner.
b. If a petition of electors equal in number to twenty-five percent of the votes cast for the county office receiving the greatest number of votes at the preceding general election is filed with the auditor no later than five working days before the filing deadline for candidates for county offices as specified in section 44.4 for the next general election, the board shall direct the commissioner of elections to call an election for the purpose of voting on the proposal. If the petition contains more than one proposal for combining duties, each proposal shall be listed on the ballot as a separate issue. If the majority of the votes cast is in favor of a proposal, the board shall take all steps necessary to combine the duties as specified in the petition.
c. The petition shall state the offices and positions to be combined and the offices or positions to be abolished. Offices and positions that have been combined may be subsequently separated by a petition and election in the same manner.
d. If an appointive officer or position is abolished, the term of office of the incumbent shall terminate one month from the day the proposal is approved. If an elective office is abolished, the incumbent shall hold office until the completion of the term for which elected, except that if a proposal is approved at a general election which fills the abolished office, the person elected shall not take office.
e. When the duties of an officer or employee are assigned to one or more elected officers, the board shall set the initial salary for each elected officer. Thereafter, the salary shall be determined as provided in section 331.907.
2. The board may:
a. Require additional security on an officer’s bond, in accordance with sections 65.2 and 65.3, or hear a petition of the surety for release and require a new bond, in accordance with sections 65.4 through 65.8.
b. Require any county officer to make a report to it under oath on any subject connected with the duties of the office, and remove from office by majority vote an officer who refuses or neglects to make a report or give a bond required by the board within twenty days after the requirement is made known to the officer.
c. Compromise an unsatisfied judgment rendered in favor of the county against a county officer and the sureties on the officer’s bond, if the county is satisfied that the full amount cannot be collected. The county may compromise with one or more of the sureties and release those sureties if the officer and each of the sureties on the officer’s bond execute a written consent to the compromise and to the release of each of the sureties who agree to the compromise, and in the writing agree that the compromise and release do not release any of the sureties who do not agree to the compromise. The written consent shall be filed with the auditor. If the judgment is based upon a default in county funds, the money received under the compromise shall be paid pro rata to the funds in proportion to the amount each fund was in default at the time the judgment was rendered.
d. Authorize a county officer to destroy records in the officer’s possession which have been on file for more than ten years, and are not required to be kept as permanent records.
e. Enter into an agreement with one or more other counties to share the services of a county attorney, in accordance with section 331.753.
f. Provide that the county attorney be a full-time or part-time officer in accordance with section 331.752.
g. Establish the number of deputies, assistants, and clerks for the offices of auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, and county attorney.
h. Exercise other powers authorized by state law.
1. [C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §332.17 – 332.22; S81, §331.323(1); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
2. a. [S81, §331.323(2); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
b. [R60, §312; C73, §303; C97, §422; SS15, §422; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §5130(8, 9); C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §332.3(8, 9); S81, §331.323; 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
c. [C97, §437 – 439; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §5136 – 5138; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §332.12 – 332.14; S81, §331.323(2); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
d. [C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §5139; C46, 50, §332.15; C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, §332.15, 343.13; C73, 75, 77, §110.9, 332.15, 335.11, 343.13; C79, 81, §110.16, 332.15, 335.11, 343.13; S81, §331.323; 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
e, f. [S81, §331.323(2); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
g. [C97, §298, 303, 481, 491, 496, 510, 2734; S13, §303-a; SS15, §298, 481, 491, 510-b, 2734-b; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §5238; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §341.1; S81, §331.323(2); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
h. [S81, §331.323(2); 81 Acts, ch 117, §322]
83 Acts, ch 186, §10072, 10073, 10201; 86 Acts, ch 1155, §3; 87 Acts, ch 115, §52; 87 Acts, ch 227, §26; 92 Acts, ch 1212, §31; 93 Acts, ch 143, §47; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2021 Acts, ch 80, §197; 2022 Acts, ch 1021, §82
Referred to in §331.502, 331.552, 331.602, 331.610, 331.653, 331.756(74), 441.56
Subsection 1, paragraph a amended