1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to counties; providing a process for making 
  1.3             certain offices appointive in Pope, Lac qui Parle, and 
  1.4             Nobles Counties. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [POPE COUNTY OFFICERS MAY BE APPOINTED.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY TO MAKE OFFICE APPOINTIVE.] 
  1.8   Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 382.01, upon 
  1.9   adoption of a resolution by the Pope County Board of 
  1.10  Commissioners, the offices of Pope County recorder and Pope 
  1.11  County auditor-treasurer are not elective but must be filled by 
  1.12  appointment by the county board as provided in the resolution. 
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [BOARD CONTROLS; MAY CHANGE AS LONG AS DUTIES 
  1.14  DONE.] Upon adoption of a resolution by the Pope County Board of 
  1.15  Commissioners and subject to subdivisions 3 and 4, the duties of 
  1.16  an elected official required by statute whose office is made 
  1.17  appointive as authorized by this section must be discharged by 
  1.18  the Board of Commissioners of Pope County acting through a 
  1.19  department head appointed by the board for that purpose.  A 
  1.20  reorganization, reallocation, or delegation or other 
  1.21  administrative change or transfer does not diminish, prohibit, 
  1.22  or avoid the discharge of duties required by statute. 
  1.23     Subd. 3.  [INCUMBENTS TO COMPLETE TERM.] The person elected 
  1.24  at the last general election to an office made appointive under 
  1.25  this section must serve in that capacity and perform the duties, 
  2.1   functions, and responsibilities required by statute until the 
  2.2   completion of the term of office to which the person was elected 
  2.3   or until a vacancy occurs in the office, whichever occurs 
  2.4   earlier. 
  2.5      Subd. 4.  [PUBLISHING RESOLUTION; PETITION, 
  2.6   REFERENDUM.] The Pope County Board may provide for the 
  2.7   appointment of a county office as permitted in this section if 
  2.8   the resolution to make the office appointive is approved by at 
  2.9   least 80 percent of the members of the county board.  Before the 
  2.10  adoption of the resolution, the county board must publish a 
  2.11  resolution notifying the public of its intent to consider the 
  2.12  option once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official 
  2.13  publication of the county.  Following the publication, the 
  2.14  county board shall provide an opportunity at its next regular 
  2.15  meeting for public comment relating to the option, prior to 
  2.16  formally adopting the option.  The resolution may be implemented 
  2.17  without the submission of the question to the voters of the 
  2.18  county unless, within 30 days after the second publication of 
  2.19  the resolution, a petition requesting a referendum, signed by at 
  2.20  least ten percent of the registered voters of Pope County, is 
  2.21  filed with the Pope County auditor.  If a petition is filed, the 
  2.22  resolution may be implemented unless disapproved by a majority 
  2.23  of the voters of the county voting on the question at a regular 
  2.24  or special election. 
  2.25     Sec. 2.  [LAC QUI PARLE COUNTY OFFICERS MAY BE COMBINED AND 
  2.26  APPOINTED.] 
  2.27     Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY TO MAKE OFFICE APPOINTIVE.] 
  2.28  Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 382.01, upon 
  2.29  adoption of a resolution by the Lac qui Parle County Board of 
  2.30  Commissioners, the offices of Lac qui Parle County auditor and 
  2.31  Lac qui Parle County treasurer may be combined, and the offices 
  2.32  of Lac qui Parle County recorder and Lac qui Parle County 
  2.33  auditor-treasurer are not elective but must be filled by 
  2.34  appointment by the county board as provided in the resolution. 
  2.35     Subd. 2.  [BOARD CONTROLS; MAY CHANGE AS LONG AS DUTIES 
  2.36  DONE.] Upon adoption of a resolution by the Lac qui Parle County 
  3.1   Board of Commissioners and subject to subdivisions 3 and 4, the 
  3.2   duties of an elected official required by statute whose office 
  3.3   is combined and made appointive or is made appointive as 
  3.4   authorized by this section must be discharged by the Board of 
  3.5   Commissioners of Lac qui Parle County acting through a 
  3.6   department head appointed by the board for that purpose.  A 
  3.7   reorganization, reallocation, or delegation or other 
  3.8   administrative change or transfer does not diminish, prohibit, 
  3.9   or avoid the discharge of duties required by statute. 
  3.10     Subd. 3.  [INCUMBENTS TO COMPLETE TERM.] The person elected 
  3.11  at the last general election to an office combined and made 
  3.12  appointive or made appointive under this section must serve in 
  3.13  that capacity and perform the duties, functions, and 
  3.14  responsibilities required by statute until the completion of the 
  3.15  term of office to which the person was elected or until a 
  3.16  vacancy occurs in the office, whichever occurs earlier. 
  3.17     Subd. 4.  [PUBLISHING RESOLUTION; PETITION, 
  3.18  REFERENDUM.] The Lac qui Parle County Board may provide for the 
  3.19  combination and appointment or appointment of a county office as 
  3.20  permitted in this section if the resolution to make the office 
  3.21  combined and made appointive or appointive is approved by at 
  3.22  least 80 percent of the members of the county board.  Before the 
  3.23  adoption of the resolution, the county board must publish a 
  3.24  resolution notifying the public of its intent to consider the 
  3.25  option once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official 
  3.26  publication of the county.  Following the publication, the 
  3.27  county board shall provide an opportunity at its next regular 
  3.28  meeting for public comment relating to the option, prior to 
  3.29  formally adopting the option.  The resolution may be implemented 
  3.30  without the submission of the question to the voters of the 
  3.31  county unless, within 30 days after the second publication of 
  3.32  the resolution, a petition requesting a referendum, signed by at 
  3.33  least ten percent of the registered voters of the county, is 
  3.34  filed with the Lac qui Parle County auditor.  If a petition is 
  3.35  filed, the resolution may be implemented unless disapproved by a 
  3.36  majority of the voters of the county voting on the question at a 
  4.1   regular or special election. 
  4.2      Sec. 3.  [NOBLES COUNTY OFFICERS MAY BE APPOINTED.] 
  4.3      Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY TO MAKE OFFICE APPOINTIVE.] 
  4.4   Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 382.01, upon 
  4.5   adoption of a resolution by the Nobles County Board of 
  4.6   Commissioners, the offices of Nobles County recorder and Nobles 
  4.7   County auditor-treasurer are not elective but must be filled by 
  4.8   appointment by the county board as provided in the resolution. 
  4.9      Subd. 2.  [BOARD CONTROLS; MAY CHANGE AS LONG AS DUTIES 
  4.10  DONE.] Upon adoption of a resolution by the Nobles County Board 
  4.11  of Commissioners and subject to subdivisions 3 and 4, the duties 
  4.12  of an elected official required by statute whose office is made 
  4.13  appointive as authorized by this section must be discharged by 
  4.14  the Board of Commissioners of Nobles County acting through a 
  4.15  department head appointed by the board for that purpose.  A 
  4.16  reorganization, reallocation, or delegation or other 
  4.17  administrative change or transfer does not diminish, prohibit, 
  4.18  or avoid the discharge of duties required by statute. 
  4.19     Subd. 3.  [INCUMBENTS TO COMPLETE TERM.] The person elected 
  4.20  at the last general election to an office made appointive under 
  4.21  this section must serve in that capacity and perform the duties, 
  4.22  functions, and responsibilities required by statute until the 
  4.23  completion of the term of office to which the person was elected 
  4.24  or until a vacancy occurs in the office, whichever occurs 
  4.25  earlier. 
  4.26     Subd. 4.  [PUBLISHING RESOLUTION; PETITION, 
  4.27  REFERENDUM.] The Nobles County Board may provide for the 
  4.28  appointment of a county office as permitted in this section if 
  4.29  the resolution to make the office appointive is approved by at 
  4.30  least 80 percent of the members of the county board.  Before the 
  4.31  adoption of the resolution, the county board must publish a 
  4.32  resolution notifying the public of its intent to consider the 
  4.33  option once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official 
  4.34  publication of the county.  Following the publication, the 
  4.35  county board shall provide an opportunity at its next regular 
  4.36  meeting for public comment relating to the option, prior to 
  5.1   formally adopting the option.  The resolution may be implemented 
  5.2   without the submission of the question to the voters of the 
  5.3   county unless, within 30 days after the second publication of 
  5.4   the resolution, a petition requesting a referendum, signed by at 
  5.5   least ten percent of the registered voters of the county, is 
  5.6   filed with the Nobles County auditor.  If a petition is filed, 
  5.7   the resolution may be implemented unless disapproved by a 
  5.8   majority of the voters of the county voting on the question at a 
  5.9   regular or special election. 
  5.10     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE; LOCAL APPROVAL.] 
  5.11     Section 1 is effective the day after the governing body of 
  5.12  Pope County and its chief clerical officer timely complete their 
  5.13  compliance with Minnesota Statutes, section 645.021, 
  5.14  subdivisions 2 and 3.  Section 2 is effective the day after the 
  5.15  governing body of Lac qui Parle County and its chief clerical 
  5.16  officer timely complete their compliance with Minnesota 
  5.17  Statutes, section 645.021, subdivisions 2 and 3.  Section 3 is 
  5.18  effective the day after the governing body of Nobles County and 
  5.19  its chief clerical officer timely complete their compliance with 
  5.20  Minnesota Statutes, section 645.021, subdivisions 2 and 3.