Structure & Duties
The board of county commissioners consists of 3 persons who are elected every 4 years in staggered elections. For example, 2 commissioners are elected in November, 2008, and 1 in November, 2010. Each county commissioner gives a bond, takes an oath of office and is sworn in before taking on official duties.
Selecting Members
The board of county commissioners meets on the 2nd Monday of January of each year and elects 1 of its members as president for a term of 1 year. For 2009, John Bayliss is the President of the Commission. He presides at all regular and special sessions of the board. If the position of president becomes vacant during the year, the board selects one of its other members to preside. Special sessions of the board of county commissioners may be held as often as the commissioners deem it necessary. The board may do any official act not, by law, restricted to a particular regular session.
All the proceedings of the board of county commissioners are open to the public and held at the Commissioner's offices located in the Colonial Building at 117 East Columbus Avenue the county seat. The board of county commissioners may, with prior reasonable public notice, hold special sessions of the board at a location in the county other than the usual office of the board at the county seat.
All the proceedings of the board of county commissioners are open to the public and held at the Commissioner's offices located in the Colonial Building at 117 East Columbus Avenue the county seat. The board of county commissioners may, with prior reasonable public notice, hold special sessions of the board at a location in the county other than the usual office of the board at the county seat.
Recorded Meetings
A majority of the board is a quorum at any regular or special meeting. The clerk of the board of county commissioners keeps a full record of the proceedings of the board, and a general index of such proceedings, entering each motion with the name of the person making it on the record. The clerk calls and records the yeas and nays on each motion that involves the levying of taxes or appropriation or payment of money. The clerk states fully and clearly in the record any question relating to the powers and duties of the board which is raised for its consideration by any person having an interest, together with the decision on such question, and shall call and record the yeas and nays by which the decision is made. When requested by a party interested in the proceedings or by his counsel, the clerk records any legal proposition decided by the board, the decision thereon and the votes by which the decision is reached. If either party, in person or by counsel, except to such decision, the clerk records the exceptions with the record of the decision.
Immediately upon the opening of each session of the board, the records of the proceedings of the session of the previous day shall be read by the clerk of the board; and, if correct, approved and signed by the commissioners. When the board is not in session, the record of proceedings are kept in the county commissioners' office, open at all proper times to public inspection. The records are certified by the president and clerk of the board, and are received as evidence in every court in the state.
Immediately upon the opening of each session of the board, the records of the proceedings of the session of the previous day shall be read by the clerk of the board; and, if correct, approved and signed by the commissioners. When the board is not in session, the record of proceedings are kept in the county commissioners' office, open at all proper times to public inspection. The records are certified by the president and clerk of the board, and are received as evidence in every court in the state.
Required Employees
The board of county commissioners is required to employ a superintendent, and such watchmen, janitors, and other employees as are necessary for the care and custody of the court house, jail, and other county buildings, bridges, and other property under its jurisdiction and control. Each county officer or department head makes an inventory, on the second Monday in January of each year, of all the materials, machinery, tools, and other county supplies under the jurisdiction of such county officer or department head. The inventory is a public record, made in duplicate, and 1 copy is filed with the clerk of the board of county commissioners and 1 copy with the county auditor.
Any county commissioner may administer any oath necessary in the discharge of the duties of the board of county commissioners. No contract entered into by the board of county commissioners, or order made by it, is valid unless it has been approved at a regular or special session of the board, and entered in the minutes of its proceedings by the county auditor or the clerk of the board.
Any county commissioner may administer any oath necessary in the discharge of the duties of the board of county commissioners. No contract entered into by the board of county commissioners, or order made by it, is valid unless it has been approved at a regular or special session of the board, and entered in the minutes of its proceedings by the county auditor or the clerk of the board.
