Section 701.71.19. Conference boards.

       71.19(1) Establishment and abolition of office.

        a.           As referred to in Iowa Code section 441.1, the term “federal census” includes any special census conducted by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as the Bureau’s decennial census.

        b.           Within 60 days of receiving the certified results of a federal census indicating the population of a city having its own assessor has fallen below 10,000, the city council of the city shall repeal the ordinance providing for its own assessor.

        c.           Whenever the office of city assessor is abolished, all moneys in the assessment expense fund and the special appraiser fund shall be transferred to the appropriate accounts in the county assessor’s office, and all equipment and supplies shall be transferred to the county assessor’s office. Employees of the city assessor’s office may, at the discretion of the county assessor, become employees of the county assessor. However, any deputy assessor of the city may not be appointed a deputy county assessor unless certified as eligible for appointment pursuant to Iowa Code sections 441.5 and 441.10.

       71.19(2) Membership.

        a.           County conference boards. A county conference board consists of the county board of supervisors, the mayor of each incorporated city in the county whose property is assessed by the county assessor, and one member of the board of directors of each high school district in the county, provided the member is a resident of the county. Members representing school districts serve one-year terms, and the board of directors each year must notify the clerk of the conference board of its representative on the conference board. A member of the board of directors of a school district may serve on the county conference board even though the member lives in a city having its own assessor (1978 O.A.G. 466).

        b.           City conference boards. A city conference board consists of the county board of supervisors, the city council, and the entire board of directors of each school district whose property is assessed by the city assessor.

       71.19(3) Voting.

        a.           Votes on matters before a conference board shall be by units as provided in Iowa Code section 441.2. At least two members of each voting unit must be present in order for the unit to cast a vote (1960 O.A.G. 226). In the event the vote of the members of a voting unit ends in a tie, that unit shall not cast a vote on the particular matter before the conference board.

        b.           If a member of a conference board is absent from a meeting, the member’s vote may not be cast by another person, except that a mayor pro tem as provided in Iowa Code section 372.14(3) may vote for the mayor when the mayor is absent from or unable to perform official duties.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 441.2.