SB621 - The MDC Appointments

As I noted in my last blog entry, SB621, which has now passed through the Legislature and awaits Governor Pence's signature, would remove the ability of the County Commissioners to make two appointments and give one to each of the Mayor and the Council.

The law takes effect on July 1, 2013, presuming, as I do, that the Governor will sign it.

However, by state law, the appointing body gets to set the term of its appointments.

The President of the County Commissioners, and County Assessor, Joe O'Connor, informs me that when Cornelius Brown was appointed in September, 2012, it was for a one year term through September of 2013.  When Ed Mahern was appointed in January, 2012, it was for a 3 year term, which would expire at the end of December, 2014.

This is what the new law would say:

(d) METRO. The metropolitan development commission consists of nine (9) citizen members, as follows:

(1) Five (5) members, of whom no more than three (3) may be of the same political party, appointed by the executive of the consolidated city.

(2) Four (4) members, of whom no more than two (2) may be of the same political party, appointed by the legislative body of the consolidated city.

 

The new state law does not specifically terminate existing appointment terms.  Nor does it say which new appointing body would get to exercise its new appointment power.