67-1a-2 - Duties enumerated.
67-1a-2. Duties enumerated.
(1) The lieutenant governor shall:
(a) perform duties delegated by the governor, including assignments to serve in any ofthe following capacities:
(i) as the head of any one department, if so qualified, with the consent of the Senate, and,upon appointment at the pleasure of the governor and without additional compensation;
(ii) as the chairperson of any cabinet group organized by the governor or authorized bylaw for the purpose of advising the governor or coordinating intergovernmental orinterdepartmental policies or programs;
(iii) as liaison between the governor and the state Legislature to coordinate and facilitatethe governor's programs and budget requests;
(iv) as liaison between the governor and other officials of local, state, federal, andinternational governments or any other political entities to coordinate, facilitate, and protect theinterests of the state;
(v) as personal advisor to the governor, including advice on policies, programs,administrative and personnel matters, and fiscal or budgetary matters; and
(vi) as chairperson or member of any temporary or permanent boards, councils,commissions, committees, task forces, or other group appointed by the governor;
(b) serve on all boards and commissions in lieu of the governor, whenever so designatedby the governor;
(c) serve as the chief election officer of the state as required by Subsection (2);
(d) keep custody of the Great Seal of Utah;
(e) keep a register of, and attest, the official acts of the governor;
(f) affix the Great Seal, with an attestation, to all official documents and instruments towhich the official signature of the governor is required; and
(g) furnish a certified copy of all or any part of any law, record, or other instrument filed,deposited, or recorded in the office of the lieutenant governor to any person who requests it andpays the fee.
(2) (a) As the chief election officer, the lieutenant governor shall:
(i) exercise general supervisory authority over all elections;
(ii) exercise direct authority over the conduct of elections for federal, state, andmulticounty officers and statewide or multicounty ballot propositions and any recounts involvingthose races;
(iii) assist county clerks in unifying the election ballot;
(iv) (A) prepare election information for the public as required by statute and asdetermined appropriate by the lieutenant governor;
(B) make the information under Subsection (2)(a)(iv)(A) available to the public and tonews media on the Internet and in other forms as required by statute or as determined appropriateby the lieutenant governor;
(v) receive and answer election questions and maintain an election file on opinionsreceived from the attorney general;
(vi) maintain a current list of registered political parties as defined in Section 20A-8-101;
(vii) maintain election returns and statistics;
(viii) certify to the governor the names of those persons who have received the highestnumber of votes for any office;
(ix) ensure that all voting equipment purchased by the state complies with therequirements of Subsection 20A-5-302(2) and Sections 20A-5-402.5 and 20A-5-402.7; and
(x) perform other election duties as provided in Title 20A, Election Code.
(b) As chief election officer, the lieutenant governor may not assume the responsibilitiesassigned to the county clerks, city recorders, town clerks, or other local election officials by Title20A, Election Code.
(3) (a) The lieutenant governor shall:
(i) (A) determine a new city's classification under Section 10-2-301 upon the city'sincorporation under Title 10, Chapter 2, Part 1, Incorporation, based on the city's populationusing the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee; and
(B) (I) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the new city belongs based onthe city's population; and
(II) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to thecity's legislative body;
(ii) (A) determine the classification under Section 10-2-301 of a consolidatedmunicipality upon the consolidation of multiple municipalities under Title 10, Chapter 2, Part 6,Consolidation of Municipalities, using population information from:
(I) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census; or
(II) the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee, if thepopulation of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census; and
(B) (I) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the consolidated municipalitybelongs based on the municipality's population; and
(II) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to theconsolidated municipality's legislative body; and
(iii) monitor the population of each municipality using population information from:
(A) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census; or
(B) the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee, if thepopulation of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census.
(b) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or (iii) indicates that amunicipality's population has increased beyond the population for its current class, the lieutenantgovernor shall:
(i) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based onthe increased population figure; and
(ii) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to thelegislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.
(c) (i) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or (iii) indicates thata municipality's population has decreased below the population for its current class, thelieutenant governor shall send written notification of that fact to the municipality's legislativebody.
(ii) Upon receipt of a petition under Subsection 10-2-302(2) from a municipality whosepopulation has decreased below the population for its current class, the lieutenant governor shall:
(A) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based onthe decreased population figure; and
(B) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to thelegislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.
Amended by Chapter 350, 2009 General Session