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

1. The commissioners must be citizens of Iowa, eligible electors as defined in chapter 39 , and residents of the city preceding their appointment, and shall serve without compensation. A person, while on the commission, shall not hold or be a candidate for any office of public tr…

The removal, discharge, demotion, or suspension of a person holding civil service rights may be appealed to the civil service commission within fourteen calendar days after the removal, discharge, demotion, or suspension. [SS15, §1056-a32; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5704; C46, 50, 54…

If the appeal be taken by the person removed, discharged, demoted, or suspended, notice of the appeal, signed by the appellant and specifying the ruling appealed from, shall be filed with the clerk of the commission. If the appeal is taken by the person making such removal, disch…

Within fourteen calendar days from the service of the notice of appeal, the person or body making the ruling appealed from shall file with the body to which the appeal is taken a written specification of the charges and grounds upon which the ruling was based. If the charges are …

A person shall not knowingly withhold exculpatory evidence from an employee subject to a written specification of charges filed under section 400.22 . 2025 Acts, ch 82, §6, 12 Section effective August 16, 2025; 2025 Acts, ch 82, §12 NEW section

Within ten days after such specifications are filed, the commission shall fix the time for a hearing, which shall be not less than five nor more than twenty days thereafter, and the place for hearing the appeal. The commission shall notify the parties in writing of the time and p…

1. The presiding officer of the commission or the council, as the case may be, shall have power to administer oaths in the same manner and with like effect and under the same penalties as in the case of magistrates exercising criminal or civil jurisdiction. 2. The council or comm…

In case a witness is duly subpoenaed and refuses to attend, or in case a witness appears and refuses to testify or to produce required books or papers, the official body hearing the appeal shall, in writing, report such refusal to the district court of the county, and said court …

The trial of all appeals shall be public, and the parties may be represented by counsel or by the parties’ authorized collective bargaining representative. However, upon the request of the employee, the deliberations of the commission in a city with a population of less than two …

1. a. The civil service commission has jurisdiction to hear and determine matters involving the rights of civil service employees under this chapter , and may affirm, modify, or reverse any case on its merits. b. If the commission determines that the city proved the employee comm…

A city council may implement a diminution of employees in a classification or grade under civil service. Such a diminution shall be carried out in accordance with any procedures provided in a collective bargaining agreement to which a bargaining unit that has at least thirty perc…

1. A person holding a civil service position shall not, while performing official duties or while using city equipment at the person’s disposal by reason of the position, solicit in any manner contribution for any political party or candidate or engage in any political activity d…

1. In cities having a population of less than eight thousand, the city council may, by ordinance, adopt the provisions of this chapter in which case it shall either appoint such commission or provide, by ordinance, for the exercise of the powers and performance of the duties of t…

The provisions of this chapter shall be strictly carried out by each person or body having powers or duties thereunder, and any act or failure to act tending to avoid or defeat the purposes of such provisions is hereby prohibited and shall be a simple misdemeanor. [C39, § 5713.1;…

In cities where the board of waterworks trustees has adopted a resolution placing its employees under this chapter as to civil service, the civil service commission acting under this chapter has charge of the civil service procedure as to those employees and this chapter applies.…

1. The commission shall elect a chairperson from among its members. In cities having a population of more than seventy-five thousand, the commission shall appoint a clerk of the commission. In all other cities the city clerk or a designee of the city clerk shall be clerk of the c…

The council shall provide suitable rooms in which the commission may hold its meetings and supply the commission with all necessary equipment and a qualified shorthand reporter or an electronic voice recording device to enable it to properly perform its duties. [SS15, §1056-a32; …

This chapter applies to permanent full-time police officers and fire fighters in cities having a population of more than eight thousand, and to all appointive permanent full-time employees in cities having a population of more than fifteen thousand except: 1. Persons appointed to…

1. An employee regularly serving in or holding a position when the position becomes subject to this chapter or when the position is reclassified by the city shall retain the position and have full civil service rights in the position under any of the following conditions: a. The …

1. The commission, when necessary under the rules, including minimum and maximum age limits, which shall be prescribed and published in advance by the commission and posted in the city hall, shall hold examinations for the purpose of determining the qualifications of applicants f…

The board of trustees of the fire and police retirement system established by section 411.5 , in consultation with the medical board established in section 411.5 , shall establish and maintain protocols and guidelines for ongoing wellness and fitness for police officers and fire …

1. The commission shall, at such times as shall be found necessary, under such rules as shall be prescribed and published in advance by the commission, and posted in the city hall, hold competitive promotional examinations for the purpose of determining the qualifications of appl…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Urban Renewal Law” . [C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §403.1 ]

All banks, trust companies, savings associations, investment companies, and other persons carrying on an investment business; all insurance companies, insurance associations, and other persons carrying on an insurance business; and all executors, administrators, curators, trustee…

1. All property of a municipality, including funds, owned or held by it for the purposes of this chapter shall be exempt from levy and sale by virtue of an execution. Execution or other judicial process shall not issue against the property and a judgment against a municipality sh…

1. For the purpose of aiding in the planning, undertaking or carrying out of an urban renewal project located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any public body may, upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may determine: a. Dedicate, sell, convey, or …

Any instrument executed by a municipality and purporting to convey any right, title, or interest in any property under this chapter shall be conclusively presumed to have been executed in compliance with the provisions of this chapter insofar as title or other interest of any bon…

1. A municipality may itself exercise its urban renewal project powers, as defined in this section , or may, if the local governing body by resolution determines such action to be in the public interest, elect to have such powers exercised by the urban renewal agency, if one exis…

1. There is hereby created in each municipality a public body corporate and politic to be known as the “urban renewal agency” of the municipality. An urban renewal agency shall not transact any business or exercise its powers under this chapter until or unless the local governing…

1. For purposes of this section : a. “Action” does not include resolutions advisory to the local governing body or agency by any citizens group, board, body, or commission designated to serve a purely advisory approving or recommending function under this chapter . b. “Action aff…

The following terms wherever used or referred to in this chapter , shall have the following meanings, unless a different meaning is clearly indicated by the context: 1. “Affected taxing entity” means a city, county, or school district which levied or certified for levy a property…

Insofar as the provisions of this chapter may be inconsistent with the provisions of any other law, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling. The powers conferred by this chapter shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law. [C58, 62, …

A municipality may provide by ordinance that taxes levied on taxable property in an urban renewal area each year by or for the benefit of the state, city, county, school district, or other taxing district, shall be divided as follows: 1. a. Unless otherwise provided in this secti…

1. For purposes of this section , unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Business” means an enterprise that is located in this state and that is operated for profit and under a single management. “Business” includes professional services and industrial enterprises, including …

1. It is hereby found and declared that there exist in municipalities of the state slum and blighted areas, as defined in this chapter , which constitute a serious and growing menace, injurious to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the residents of the state; that …

In determining the assessed value of property within an urban renewal area which is subject to a division of tax revenues pursuant to section 403.19 , the difference between the actual value of the property as determined by the assessor each year and the actual value of the prope…

1. In order to promote communication and cooperation among cities, counties, and community colleges with respect to the allocation and division of taxes, no jobs training projects as defined in chapter 260E shall be undertaken within the area of operation of a municipality after …

1. With respect to any urban renewal area established upon the determination that the area is an economic development area, a division of revenue as provided in section 403.19 shall not be allowed for the purpose of providing or aiding in the provision of public improvements rela…

1. Each municipality that has established an urban renewal area that utilizes, or plans to utilize, revenues from the special fund created in section 403.19 , shall make an annual certification of compliance with this section . For any year in which the municipality is audited in…

The local governing body of a municipality may formulate for the municipality a workable program for utilizing appropriate private and public resources to eliminate slums and prevent the development or spread of slums and urban blight and to encourage needed urban rehabilitation.…

A municipality shall not exercise the authority conferred upon municipalities by this chapter until after its local governing body has adopted a resolution finding that: 1. One or more slum, blighted or economic development areas exist in the municipality. 2. The rehabilitation, …

1. A municipality shall not approve an urban renewal project for an urban renewal area unless the governing body has, by resolution, determined the area to be a slum area, blighted area, economic development area or a combination of those areas, and designated the area as appropr…

The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally interpreted to achieve the purposes of this chapter . Every municipality shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this chapter , including the following powers in…

1. A municipality shall have the right to acquire by condemnation any interest in real property, including a fee simple title thereto, which it may deem necessary for or in connection with an urban renewal project under this chapter , subject to the limitations on eminent domain …

1. A municipality may sell, lease or otherwise transfer real property or any interest in real property acquired by it, and may enter into contracts for such purposes, in an urban renewal area for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial or other uses, or for public use, …

1. A municipality shall have power to periodically issue bonds in its discretion to pay the costs of carrying out the purposes and provisions of this chapter , including but not limited to the payment of principal and interest upon any advances for surveys and planning, and the p…