Relating to matters associated with county officers

This bill relates to matters associated with county officers. The bill strikes a requirement that a county commission of veteran affairs file in the office of the county auditor a report regarding recipients of services from the county commission of veteran affairs. Under the bill, the commission rather than the auditor is responsible for maintaining permanent records of the reports. Under current law and the bill, a person who discloses, authorizes, knowingly permits, participates in, or acquiesces in the use of any lists, names, or other information obtained from the reports for commercial or political purposes commits a serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560. _____ The bill changes elections for county auditors from partisan elections to nonpartisan elections. The bill requires candidates for election to the office of county auditor to be nominated by petition as provided in Code chapter (nominations by petition).78 (voter identity and signature verification). The bill changes the first day on which a county commissioner of elections may mail absentee ballots from days before an election to days before an election. The bill requires a county commissioner of elections to implement a postal service barcode only for absentee ballots requested or returned by a confined person or a person participating in the address confidentiality program or voting pursuant to the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Current law requires the implementation of a postal service barcode for all absentee ballots. The bill changes the person responsible for the apportionment of school tax, rents, and other moneys belonging to schools from the county auditor to the county treasurer. The bill strikes requirements that a county auditor collect the costs relating to the treatment and care of private patients at the state psychiatric hospital and carry out duties relating to the hospitalization and support of persons with mental illness. The bill also strikes a reference to a repealed requirement that a county auditor maintain an account book and index of persons receiving mental health treatment. When reviewing the compensation of county officers, the bill requires a county compensation board to review compensation paid to school business officials, state employees, and city clerks employed by cities of similar population to the county. _____ compensation paid to comparable officers in other counties of this state, other states, private enterprise, and the federal government. The bill requires money recovered by the owner of a treasurer’s certificate of purchase of land sold for taxes from a person willfully committing waste or trespass on the land to be paid to the county treasurer rather than the county auditor.