8.66 - DUTIES OF COMMISSION. - Iowa Statutes

8.66 DUTIES OF COMMISSION. The commission shall do all of the following: 1. Promote, encourage, and advance innovation and creativity in local governance. 2. Develop an application and review process for local governance and revenue models submitted to the commission by a community-wide area. Results, strategies, and desired outcomes identified by the commission in developing its application and review process shall include but not be limited to the following: a. Cost savings to citizens, in particular lowering of local government property taxes. b. Creation of, or inducement to create, high-wage, stable employment opportunities for a local government's citizens and more effective leveraging of resources to improve competitive advantage. c. Elimination of duplication of government administration. d. More efficient and effective delivery of services by government, including eliminating duplication of service delivery by more than one unit of government in the same area and modernizing services and service delivery to meet the changing public service needs of the area. e. Creation of a state-local partnership in one or more areas of service delivery and governance that would increase quality and efficiency on the local level. 3. Design an application form to be completed by a community-wide area seeking review of a local governance and revenue model. The application form shall require the community-wide area to demonstrate how the local governance and revenue model will result in reduced local government or state general fund expenditures, how local government fund revenues will increase without an increase in state costs, how local government services will be provided more efficiently or will be of increased quality resulting in greater value from the expenditure of local government revenues, or how the model develops partnerships with the state to provide increased quality and efficiency on the local level. 4. Utilize the department of management, the department of revenue, or other sources of technical expertise designated by the commission to certify savings projected for a proposed local governance and revenue model. 5. Report to the general assembly on or before June 30, 2010, and every three years thereafter, on the accomplishments of community-wide area efforts funded by grants from the local government innovation fund authorized under section 8.67, in achieving the objectives described in subsection 2, paragraphs "a" through "e". 6. On or before January 1, 2009, submit to the general assembly and to the office of the governor recommendations for legislation that would provide flexibility and freedom to local governments in implementing governance and revenue models. 7. a. Prepare a request for proposals for establishment of the Tim Shields center for governing excellence in Iowa as provided in section 8.69, and prepare procedures and a timetable for submission and review of proposals and for selection of a proposal. The proposal process shall be open to public and private not-for-profit institutions of higher education, either individually or in collaboration, located in this state and accredited by the north central association of colleges and secondary schools. b. The request for proposals shall require each proposal to provide for employment of a full-time director and administrative assistant at the center. c. The request for proposals shall require each proposal to specify all of the following: (1) The number and subject area specialties of the research staff; the office space; the support staff; and the computer, library, and research facilities to be provided by the proposing institution or institutions. (2) The personnel, facilities, and support provided for the training of policymakers, public officials, and students in areas including but not limited to public administration and management, budgetary preparation and analysis, electronic government, local-state government relations, and public policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. (3) The funding to be committed by the proposing institution or institutions. 8. Oversee and direct the activities of the Tim Shields center for governing excellence in Iowa.          Section History: Recent Form 2007 Acts, ch 117, §3, 7 Referred to in § 8.64, 8.68          Footnotes For future repeal of section effective July 1, 2010, see §8.68; 2007 Acts, ch 117, §5, 7; 2009 Acts, ch 170, §46, 50