Iowa Code
Chapter 331 - COUNTY HOME RULE IMPLEMENTATION
Section 331.471 - County enterprise commissions.

331.471 County enterprise commissions.
1. As used in this section, “commission” means a commission established under this section to manage a county enterprise or combined county enterprise. Upon receipt of a valid petition as defined in section 331.306 requesting that a proposal for establishment or discontinuance of a commission be submitted to the voters, or upon its own motion, the board shall submit the proposal at the next general election or at an election which includes a proposal to establish, acquire, lease, or dispose of the county enterprise or combined county enterprise.
2. A proposal for the establishment of a county enterprise commission shall specify a commission of either three or five members. If a majority of those voting approves the proposal, the board shall proceed as proposed. If a majority of those voting does not approve the proposal, the same or a similar proposal shall not be submitted to the voters of the county and the board shall not establish a commission for the same purpose for at least four years from the date of the election at which the proposal was defeated.
3. If a proposal to discontinue a commission receives a favorable majority vote, the commission is dissolved at the time provided in the proposal and shall turn over to the board the management of the county enterprise or combined county enterprise and all property relating to it.
4. If a proposal to establish a commission receives a favorable majority vote, the commission is established at the time provided in the proposal. The board shall appoint the commission members, as provided in the proposal and this section. The board shall provide by resolution for staggered six-year terms for and shall set the compensation of commission members.
5. A commission member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring by reason other than the expiration of a term is appointed for the balance of the unexpired term.
6. The title of a commission shall be appropriate to the county enterprise or combined county enterprise administered by the commission. A commission may be a party to legal action. A commission may exercise all powers of the board in relation to the county enterprise or combined county enterprise it administers, with the following exceptions:
a. A commission shall not certify taxes to be levied, pass ordinances or amendments, or issue general obligation bonds.
b. The title to all property of a county enterprise or combined county enterprise shall be held in the name of the county, but the commission has all the powers and authorities of the board with respect to the acquisition by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, lease, sale or other disposition of the property, and the management, control and operation of the property, subject to the requirements, terms, covenants, conditions and provisions of any resolutions authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds, pledge orders, or other obligations which are payable from the revenues of the county enterprise or combined county enterprise, and which are then outstanding.
c. A commission shall make to the board a detailed annual report, including a complete financial statement.
d. Immediately following a regular or special meeting of a commission, the secretary of the commission shall prepare a condensed statement of the proceedings of the commission and cause the statement to be published as provided in section 331.305. The statement shall include a list of all claims allowed, showing the name of the person or firm making the claim, the reason for the claim, and the amount of the claim. If the reason for the claims is the same, two or more claims made by the same vendor, supplier, or claimant may be consolidated if the number of claims consolidated and the total consolidated claim amount are listed in the statement. However, the commission shall provide at its office upon request an unconsolidated list of all claims allowed. Salary claims must show the gross amount of the claim except that salaries paid to persons regularly employed by the commission, for services regularly performed by the persons shall be published once annually showing the gross amount of the salary. In counties having more than one hundred fifty thousand population the commission shall each month prepare in pamphlet form the statement required in this paragraph for the preceding month, and furnish copies to the public library, the daily and official newspapers of the county, the auditor, and to persons who apply at the office of the secretary, and the pamphlet shall constitute publication as required. Failure by the secretary to make publication is a simple misdemeanor.
7. A commission shall control tax revenues allocated to the county enterprise or combined county enterprise it administers and all moneys derived from the operation of the county enterprise or combined county enterprise, the sale of its property, interest on investments, or from any other source related to the county enterprise or combined county enterprise.
8. All moneys received by the commission shall be held by the county treasurer in a separate fund, with a separate account or accounts for each county enterprise or combined county enterprise. Moneys may be paid out of each account only at the direction of the appropriate commission.
9. A commission is subject to section 331.341, subsections 1, 2, 4 and 5, and section 331.342, in contracting for public improvements.
[S81, §331.471; 81 Acts, ch 117, §470]
83 Acts, ch 42, §1; 2006 Acts, ch 1018, §3
Referred to in §331.321

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