331.262 Adoption of charter — effect.

1. a. As a political subdivision of the state, the community commonwealth unit of local government shall have the statutory and constitutional status of a county and of a city to the extent the community commonwealth governing body assumes the powers and duties of cities as those powers and duties relate to the delivery of services. For each service provided by the community commonwealth, the community commonwealth shall assume the same statutory rights, powers, and duties relating to the provision of the service as if the member city were itself providing the service to its citizens.

b. On its effective date, the community commonwealth charter operates to replace the existing county government structure. The governments of participating cities shall remain in existence to render those services not transferred to the community commonwealth government.

2. The adoption of the community commonwealth form of government does not alter any right or liability of the county or member city in effect at the time of the election at which the charter was adopted.

3. All departments and agencies of the county and of each member city shall continue to operate until their authority to operate is superseded by action of the governing body.

4. All ordinances or resolutions in effect remain effective until amended or repealed, unless they are irreconcilable with the adopted charter.

5. Upon the effective date of the adopted charter, the county shall adopt the community commonwealth form of government by ordinance, and shall file a copy with the secretary of state and maintain available copies for public inspection.

6. Members of the governing body of the county and of each member city shall continue in office until the members of the governing body of the community commonwealth have been elected and sworn into office, at which time the offices of the former governing bodies shall be abolished, and the terms of the members of the former governing bodies shall be terminated. During the period between the effective date of the charter and the election and qualification of the elected members of the new governing body, the former governing bodies of each member city and of the county shall continue to perform their duties and shall assist in planning the transition to the community commonwealth form of government.

7. If a community commonwealth charter is submitted to the electorate but is not adopted, another charter shall not be submitted to the electorate for at least two years from the date of the election at which the charter was rejected. If a community commonwealth charter is adopted, a proposed charter for another alternative form of county government shall not be submitted to the electorate for at least six years from the date of the election at which the charter was adopted.

8. If a community commonwealth charter is adopted, the charter may be amended at any time. The charter shall be amended in the manner provided in section 331.247, subsection 7.

9. a. A city or county wishing to terminate its membership in the community commonwealth government must do so pursuant to the existing charter procedure under this chapter or chapter 372, whichever is applicable.

b. A city or county may join an existing community commonwealth government by resolution of the board or council, whichever is applicable, or upon petition of eligible electors of the city or county, whichever is applicable, equal in number to at least twenty-five percent of the persons who voted at the last general election for the office of governor or president of the United States, whichever is fewer. Within fifteen days after receiving a valid petition, the applicable governing body shall adopt a resolution in favor of participation and shall immediately forward the resolution to the governing body of the community commonwealth. If a majority of the community commonwealth governing body approves the resolution, the question of joining the community commonwealth shall be submitted to the electorate of the petitioning city or county within sixty days after approval of the resolution.

91 Acts, ch 256, §34; 2004 Acts, ch 1066, §28, 31; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §130

Referred to in §28E.40, 331.231, 372.1