§ 2-174. Roles and responsibilities of officers

(a) County board chair and vice-chair.

(1) The county board elects a chair and vice-chair to the county board biannually during the third Tuesday of April reorganizational meeting.

(2) The chair shall further perform all statutory duties enumerated in Wis. Stats. § 59.12. In his absence or disability, the vice-chair shall perform the duties of the chair.

(3) There are no term limits for the county board chair and vice-chair or any member of the boards, committees or commissions. All appointments will be for two-year terms unless otherwise designated.

(4) The county board chair and vice-chair may be used by all committees when needed to constitute a quorum. The chair and vice-chair should attend such meetings as deemed necessary to gain sufficient knowledge of committee functions to be able to serve as a voting committee member.

(5) The chair shall call the board to order and shall preside at all meetings of the board.

(6) Membership on committees will be by appointment made by the county board chair subject to approval by the county board.

(7) The chair shall decide all issues of order and the agenda subject to appeal.

(8) The chair shall preserve order and see that the rules are enforced.

(9) The chair shall vote upon all roll calls when his name is called except on appeal from his own decisions.

(10) The chair may administer oaths to persons required to be sworn concerning any matter to the board or a committee of the board or connected with their powers or duties.

(b) County board committees, boards and commissions. (Where the term "chair" is used in this subsection it shall mean committee, board or commission chair.)

(1) The chair shall call committee meetings and preside over such committee meeting and is responsible for setting the agenda.

(2) The chair shall work with department heads and county administrator in setting the committee meeting agenda.

(3) All committees shall have authority conferred by the statutes and laws of the state given them by resolution or ordinance of the county board. Such committees shall also have such other duties as are imposed and all such authority as may have previously been conferred upon any committee performing such duties. (See section 2-64.)

(4) Every subject matter shall be referred without motion or debate to its appropriate committee unless otherwise directed.

(5) All committees shall give all matters referred to them due and careful consideration and report their findings and recommendations.

(6) Committees are advisory to the county board. All matters going to the county board must first go to the appropriate oversight committee.

(7) Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission supervise the administration of a department, the department head shall supervise the administration of the department and the board or commission shall perform any advisory or policy-making function authorized by statute.

(8) The health and human services board under Wis. Stats. § 46.23(4)(b)(2) is a "policy-making body determining the broad outlines and principals governing the administration of the programs under Wis. Stats. ch. 46."

(c) Corporation counsel.

(1) The corporation counsel is supervised by the executive committee and ultimately the county board.

(2) The county board of supervisors may employ a corporation counsel and fix the salary of the corporation counsel.

(3) The corporation counsel shall prosecute and defend all civil actions, proceedings applications and motions in any court, commission, board, tribunal or body in any jurisdiction of this or other states.

(4) The corporation counsel shall give advice to the county board and departments, boards, commissions, committees, agencies or officers of the county when requested, in all civil matters in which the county is interested or relating to the discharge of the official duties of such boards, commissions, committees, agencies or officers of the county.

(5) The corporation counsel shall examine all claims against the county when presented to the county board and report as to the liability of the county for any and all claims.

(6) The corporation counsel shall act as legislative counsel for the county board of supervisors.

(7) The corporation counsel shall give legal opinions to the county board of supervisors and its committees interpreting the powers and duties of the board and county officers.

(8) The corporation counsel shall draft ordinances and resolutions when requested and approve as to form all such ordinances and resolutions drafted.

(9) Whenever any of the powers and duties conferred upon the corporation counsel are concurrent with similar powers or duties conferred by law upon the district attorney, the district attorney's powers and duties shall cease to the extent that they are so conferred upon the corporation counsel.

(10) Opinions of the corporation counsel on all such matters shall have the same effect as opinions of the district attorney.

(11) The corporation counsel may request the attorney general to consult and advise with the corporation counsel in the same manner as with the district attorney.

(Ord. of 4-12-2004, § 2.04(D))