Title IX, LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Ch. 331 - 420)

The order for election issued under section 359.12 may be directed to any citizen of the same township, by name, and shall be served by posting copies of the order, in three of the most public places in the township, fifteen days before the day of the election. The original order…

1. Eligible electors of a township wishing to change its name may petition the board of supervisors. 2. If it appears to the board that a majority of the eligible electors of the township are in favor of the change, the board shall cause notices, attested by the auditor, to be po…

If, at the time fixed for the hearing of a petition filed under section 359.14 , the board is satisfied that there is a majority in favor of the change of name, the board shall make an order granting the name change, which shall be attested by the auditor, and recorded in the off…

If it appears to said board that a majority of the citizens of such township are opposed to such change, such petition shall be dismissed. The cost of the proceeding in all cases shall be taxed against the petitioners. [C73, §414; C97, §582; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5542; C46, 50, …

1. The board of township trustees in each township shall consist of three registered voters of the township. However, in townships with a taxable valuation for property tax purposes of two hundred fifty million dollars or more, the board of township trustees shall consist of five…

In counties having a population of less than twenty-five thousand, where the trustees institute, or are made parties to, litigation in connection with the performance of their duties, as provided in this chapter , the county attorney, as a part of the county attorney’s official d…

When litigation shall arise in any case not covered by section 359.18 , involving the right or duty of township trustees with reference to any matter within their jurisdiction, and the trustees become or are made parties to such litigation, they shall have authority to employ att…

The board of supervisors shall divide the county into townships, as convenience may require, defining the boundaries thereof, and may, from time to time, make such alterations in the number and boundaries of the townships as it may deem proper. [C51, §219; R60, §441; C73, §379; C…

1. The township clerk shall keep a record of all the proceedings and orders of the trustees, and of all acts done by the township clerk, including the filing of certificates of official oaths having been taken before other officers, and perform such other acts as may be required …

1. Each township clerk shall receive, collect, and disburse, under the orders of the township trustees, all funds belonging to the township, including the cemetery fund. A claim shall not be paid until it has been audited by the trustees. 2. Before the fifteenth day of each month…

1. Each township clerk shall prepare, on or before September 30 of each year, a statement in writing, showing all receipts of money and disbursements in the clerk’s office for each separate tax levy authorized by law for the preceding fiscal year, showing the current public debt …

Where a city constitutes one or more civil townships the boundary lines of which coincide throughout with the boundary lines of the city, the offices of township clerk and trustee are abolished. [C97, §560; S13, §560; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5553; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, …

The duties required by law of the township clerk in cities described in section 359.24 shall be performed by the city clerk, and those required of the board of trustees shall be performed by the city council. [C97, §561; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5554; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 7…

The moneys and assets belonging to each civil township described in section 359.24 shall become the moneys and assets of the city in which the civil township is situated. The township clerks shall turn such moneys and assets over to the city treasurer or clerk, to be disbursed by…

County treasurers are hereby authorized to pay over to the treasurers or clerks of cities which come under the provisions of sections 359.24 , 359.25 and 359.26 all funds which would otherwise be paid over to the township clerks of such townships. [C97, §563; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39,…

The township trustees are hereby empowered to condemn, or purchase and pay for out of the general fund, or the specific fund voted for such purpose, and enter upon and take, any lands within the territorial limits of such township for the use of cemeteries, a community center or …

Civil townships are hereby authorized and empowered to receive by gift, devise, or bequest, money or property for the purpose of establishing and maintaining libraries, township halls, cemeteries, or for any other public purpose. All such gifts, devises, or bequests shall be effe…

Where the boundaries of any city have been changed, the board of supervisors of the county in which the city is situated shall have power to change the boundary lines of townships so as to make them conform to the boundaries of the city, and to make such other changes in township…

Township trustees shall, at the regular meeting in November, levy a tax sufficient to pay for any lands so condemned or purchased, or for the necessary improvement and maintenance of cemeteries thus established, and for the necessary improvement and the maintenance of public park…

Township trustees shall control any such cemeteries, or appoint trustees for the cemeteries, or sell the property to any private corporation for cemetery purposes. [C97, §586; SS15, §586; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5561; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §359.31 ] 2020…

Township trustees shall have authority to provide for the sale of lots, or portions thereof, in any cemetery under their control, and make rules in regard thereto. Township trustees may provide for perpetual upkeep by the establishment of a perpetual upkeep fund from the proceeds…

Township trustees may levy a tax not to exceed six and three-fourths cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of taxable property to improve and maintain any cemetery not owned by the township, provided the cemetery is devoted to general public use. [C97, §586; SS15, §586; C2…

The levy authorized in sections 359.30 and 359.33 may be extended to property within the limits of any city so far as same is situated within the township, unless such city is already maintaining a cemetery, or has levied a tax in support thereof. The said tax may be so expended …

Cemetery tax funds of a township may be used for the maintenance and support of cemeteries in adjoining counties and townships and in cities, if such cemeteries are utilized for burial purposes by the people of the township and, when any such cemetery has been so utilized for mor…

A city council and the trustees of a township may join in the common purpose of improving, maintaining, and supporting a township cemetery. In such case the two official bodies shall constitute a joint cemetery board and shall have equal voting power. [C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5565…

1. The trustees, board of directors, or other officers having the custody and control of any cemetery in this state, shall have power, subject to the bylaws and regulations of such cemetery, to do all of the following: a. To enclose, improve, and adorn the ground of such cemetery…

Such trustees, directors, or other officers may appoint as many day and night watchpersons of their grounds as they may think expedient, and such watchpersons, and also all their sextons, superintendents, gardeners, and agents, stationed upon or near said grounds are hereby autho…

Upon the taking of such oath, such watchpersons, sextons, superintendents, gardeners, and agents shall have and exercise all powers of police officers within and adjacent to the cemetery grounds and each shall have power to arrest any and all persons engaged in violating the laws…

The description of the boundaries of each township, and all alterations in them, and of all new townships, shall be recorded in full in the records of the board of supervisors, and of the township. [C51, §220; R60, §442; C73, §381; C97, §553; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5530; C46, 50,…

Where there is located in any township one or more cemeteries, the owner of the same, or any party owning an interest therein, may cause the same to be surveyed, platted, and laid out into subdivisions and lots, numbering the same by progressive numbers, giving the length and bre…

Except as otherwise provided in section 331.385 , the trustees of each township shall provide fire protection service for the township, exclusive of any part of the township within a benefited fire district and may provide emergency medical service. The trustees may purchase, own…

1. The township trustees may levy an annual tax not exceeding forty and one-half cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of the taxable property in the township, excluding property within a benefited fire district or within the corporate limits of a city, for the purpose of …

Townships may anticipate the collection of taxes authorized by section 359.43 and for such purposes may direct the county board of supervisors to issue bonds under sections 331.441 through 331.449 relating to essential county purpose bonds except that the bonds are payable only f…

1. A township trustee while engaged in official business shall be compensated at an hourly rate established by the county board of supervisors. However, the county board of supervisors may establish a minimum daily pay rate for the time spent by a township trustee attending a sch…

A township clerk while engaged in official business shall be compensated at the same rate as the pay rate of a township trustee of the same township. [C51, §2548; R60, §909, 911; C73, §3809; C97, §591; S13, §591; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5572; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 7…

Annually, a township shall prepare and adopt a budget, and shall certify taxes as follows: 1. A budget must be prepared for at least the following fiscal year. A proposed budget must show estimates of the following: a. Expenditures from each fund. b. Income from sources other tha…

When any township has within its limits a city with a population exceeding fifteen hundred, the eligible electors of such township residing without the limits of such city may, at any regular session of the board of supervisors of the county, petition to have such township divide…

1. A township budget as finally adopted for the following fiscal year becomes effective July 1. A township budget for the current fiscal year may be amended for any of the following purposes: a. To permit the expenditure of unexpended, unencumbered cash balances on hand at the en…

A township shall keep separate accounts corresponding to the items in the township’s adopted or amended budget. A township shall keep accounts which provide an accurate and detailed statement of all public funds collected, received, or expended for any township purpose, by any to…

1. A township shall not dispose of an interest in personal property, or an interest in real property, by sale, lease, or gift, except in accordance with the following procedure: a. The board of trustees shall set forth its proposal in a resolution and shall publish notice of the …

A petition under section 359.5 shall be accompanied by the affidavit of three eligible electors, to the effect that all of the signatures to the petition are genuine, and that the signers thereof are all eligible electors of the township, residing outside the corporate limits of …

Notice of the time when the petition will be heard shall be given by publication as provided in section 331.305 before the hearing. [C73, §383; C97, §555; S13, §555; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5533; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §359.7 ] 87 Acts, ch 43, §13

If the petition is signed by a majority of the registered voters of the township residing without the corporate limits of the city, the board of supervisors shall divide the township into two townships, as petitioned; but, except for election purposes, including the appointment o…

When the citizens of any township set off as provided in section 359.8 desire to dissolve their township organization and return again to the township from which they were taken, they may do so by the same proceedings as provided for the division of the township, except that the …