Relating to county supervisors, concerning county supervisor representation plans and county supervisor vacancies, and including effective date provisions

Description

Senate File 2439 relates to county redistricting plans. The Bill is organized into three divisions.

Division I

This Division requires counties with a population of 125,000 or more based on the most recent federal decennial census to use plan “three” for the election of supervisors. The Bill provides that a county with a population of 125,000 or more as of the effective date of this Bill that does not use plan “three” as of the effective date for the election of supervisors is not required to elect supervisors under plan “three” until the election of supervisors in 2026. This Division also requires counties to establish a temporary county redistricting commission to adopt a representation plan by the later of 30 days after the effective date of this Bill or May 15, 2024. The plan is required to be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) no later than November 1, 2024, and will become effective January 1, 2025.

Division II

This Division defines how a vacancy on a board of supervisors is to be filled. A county with a population of less than 125,000 based on the most recent federal decennial census is required to fill the vacancy by appointment by the committee of county officers. A county with a population of 125,000 or more based on the most recent federal decennial census is required to fill the vacancy with a special election.

Division III

This Division makes the Bill effective upon enactment.

Background

Currently, Iowa Code section 331.206 requires county redistricting plans to be selected by the county board of supervisors or by special election as provided in Iowa Code section 331.207. The three plans used for the election of supervisors are as follows:

• Plan “one” — election at large without district residence requirements for the members.
• Plan “two” — election at large but with equal-population district residence requirements for the members.
• Plan “three” — election from single-member equal-population districts, in which the electors of each district shall elect one member who must reside in that district. Currently, there are five counties with a population of 125,000 or more that would be required to use plan “three.” Three of the five counties, Black Hawk, Johnson, and Scott, will be changing from plan “one” to plan “three,” and two of the five counties, Linn and Polk, already use plan “three.”

Iowa Code section 69.14A allows for the vacancies to be filled by appointment under certain circumstances.

Assumptions

Division I

• The three counties changing from plan “one” to plan “three” will experience an estimated cost between $40,000 and $80,000 per county to conform their district to plan “three.” The estimated cost will cover training, additional precincts, conforming ballots, and the mailing of new voter registration cards to all eligible voters within the county.
• There will be no additional costs to the two counties currently using plan “three.”

Division II

Counties that are required to hold special elections as a result of vacancies for their boards of supervisors are estimated to cost between $15,000 and $90,000 per county per election. The frequency of elections per county cannot be estimated.

Fiscal Impact

Division I

For the three counties required to change from plan “one” to plan “three” under Division I, the one-time cost per county is estimated to be between $40,000 and $80,000 for a total one-time cost of between $120,000 and $240,000 for FY 2025.

Division II

Counties that hold special elections for their boards of supervisors under Division II may incur a cost of between $15,000 and $90,000 for each special election held in each county.

Source

• Iowa State Associations of Counties