331.248 - CHARTER OF CONSOLIDATION.

        331.248  CHARTER OF CONSOLIDATION.         1.  The charter commission proposing a city-county consolidated      form of government shall prepare, adopt, and cause to be submitted to      the voters the charter.         2.  The charter for a city-county consolidated form of government      shall:         a.  Provide for adjustment of existing bonded indebtedness and      other obligations in a manner which will provide for a fair and      equitable burden of taxation for debt service.         b.  Provide for establishment of service areas, except that      formation of a city-county consolidated form of government shall not      affect the assignment of electric utility service territories      pursuant to chapter 476, and shall not affect the rights of a city to      grant a franchise under chapter 364.         c.  Provide for the transfer or other disposition of property      and other rights, claims, assets, and franchises of the county and      each city consolidated under the alternative form.         d.  Provide the official name of the city-county consolidated      government.         e.  Provide for the transfer, reorganization, abolition,      absorption, and adjustment of boundaries of all existing boards,      bureaus, commissions, agencies, special districts, and political      subdivisions of the city-county consolidated government.         f.  Provide for the exercise of home rule power and authority      not inconsistent with state law.         g.  Provide for a governing body of an odd number of members,      not less than five, but which may exceed the number of members      specified in sections 331.201, 331.203, and 331.204.  The titles of      the members of the governing body shall be determined by the charter.         h.  Provide for a representation plan for the governing body      which representation plan may differ from the representation plans      provided in section 331.206 and in chapter 372.  If the plan calls      for representation by districts and the charter has been approved in      a county whose population is one hundred eighty thousand or more, the      plan shall be drawn pursuant to section 331.210A, subsection 2,      paragraph "f".  The initial representation plan for such a county      shall be drawn as provided in section 331.210A, subsection 2,      paragraph "f", within one hundred twenty days after the election      at which the charter is approved.  For the initial representation      plan, the charter commission shall assume the role of the governing      body for purposes of this paragraph and section 331.210A, subsection      2, paragraphs "d" through "f".         i.  Provide for the initial compensation for members of the      governing body and for a method of changing the compensation.         3.  The charter may grant the legislative body of the consolidated      government the authority to transfer, reorganize, and provide a      method for adjusting the boundaries of the entities within the      consolidated government.         4.  The consolidation charter may include other provisions which      the commission elects to include and which are not irreconcilable      with state law.  These provisions may include but are not limited to      the following:         a.  Provide for a method of selecting officers of the      governing body and fixing their terms of office which may differ from      the requirements of sections 331.208 through 331.211 and the      provisions of chapter 372.         b.  Provide for meetings of the governing body and rules of      procedure which may differ from the requirements of section 331.213,      except that the meetings shall be scheduled and conducted in      compliance with chapter 21.         c.  Provide for combining the duties of elected officials of      the county, for eliminating elected offices and the assumption of the      duties of those offices by appointed officials, and for adding to,      deleting from, or otherwise changing the duties of officials, elected      or otherwise, of the county and each consolidated city.  If the      charter provides that one or more elective offices are combined, the      board of supervisors shall appoint one of the elective officers of      the combined offices to serve until new officers have been elected at      the general election in the even-numbered year and have qualified for      office.  If the charter calls for the elimination of an elective      office, that elective officer's term of office shall expire on the      date specified in the charter.         d.  Provide for the organization of city and county      departments, agencies, or boards.  The organization plan may provide      for the abolition or consolidation of a department, agency, board, or      commission and the assumption of its powers and duties by the      governing body or by another department, agency, board, or      commission.         e.  Provide for a method for the governing body or another      office to exercise the powers and duties of the township trustees, in      lieu of their election or appointment.         f.  Provide for a chief executive officer, a method of      selecting that officer, the compensation for that officer, a method      of changing the compensation, and the powers and duties of that      officer.         g.  If the charter provides for a chief executive office,      provide for the appointment of a chief executive officer pro tem, the      compensation for that officer, a method of changing the compensation,      and the manner in which that officer would exercise the powers and      duties of the chief executive officer.         h.  Provide for the appointment of a city manager, a method      for determining and changing the compensation for the city manager,      and the powers and duties of the city manager.         This subsection does not apply to the board of trustees of a      county hospital or to the board of trustees of a city hospital.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         88 Acts, ch 1229, §20; 91 Acts, ch 256, §21, 22; 2004 Acts, ch      1066, §15--17, 31         Referred to in § 331.231, 331.261, 372.1, 373.4