SB 644

This bill makes a number of changes to the duties of a county clerk and specifies

some of the clerk's duties in the statute that lists the requirements of that office. The

bill does the following:

1. Specifies that full-time equivalent deputies of the clerk work exclusively in

the clerk's office and that deputies may be removed only by the clerk.

2. Specifies that the clerk may appoint as many assistants as the county board

authorizes. Currently, this provision applies only to counties with a population

exceeding 150,000.

3. Requires a county board to appoint an acting clerk within 90 days of the

board adopting a resolution finding that the clerk is incapable of discharging his or

her duties. Currently, the county board may appoint an acting clerk if the clerk is

incapable of discharging his or her duties.

4. Requires a clerk to create the agenda for board meetings, under the direction

of the county board chairperson or committee chairperson, and file in the clerk's

office copies of agendas and meetings of board and committee meetings.

5. Requires a clerk to keep records of board and committee proceedings, orders

for payments, receipts and disbursements of money, and reports of the treasurer

related to receipts and disbursements of the county, without specifying the form or

medium in which such records are kept. Currently, a clerk is required to keep such

records in a book.

6. Requires a clerk to notify a county commissioner of highways of the

commissioner's election within ten days of the election and notify town officers of the

levy and rate of tax for the county road and bridge fund. Currently, a clerk performed

such notifications only in counties with a population of less than 150,000.

Under current law, a clerk is required to transmit annually to the secretary of

state a typed or printed list showing the name and post-office address of certain

specified municipal officials. Under this bill, a clerk is required to transmit annually

to the secretary of state a list of the name, phone number, e-mail address, and

post-office address of these same municipal officials, other unspecified local officials,

and elective and appointive officials of any other local governmental unit that is

wholly or partly within the county. The bill also requires the clerk, secretary, or other

administrative officer of a local governmental unit to provide the county clerk any

information he or she needs to complete this requirement.

The bill also repeals a number of obsolete provisions of current law. The bill

repeals a requirement that a clerk transmit to the Department of Public Instruction

certified copies of certain resolutions relating to raising money for school purposes,

and repeals a requirement that a clerk transmit to the secretary of state a certified

copy of an ordinance enacted by a village or town that relates to a change of the

village's or town's name, the name of a newly organized town, or town boundary

changes that result from county board action.