SB337 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

J.T. WaggonerSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Jefferson Co., civic center authority, board members, appointments by Jefferson Co. Legislative Delegation, procedures, Act 547, 1965 Reg. Sess., am'd.

Summary

SB337 updates how Jefferson County's Civic Center Authority board is chosen by creating a nine-member board with designated seats, a mixed election process, and detailed vacancy and term rules.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a nine-member Authority board with specific ex officio seats (mayor of the largest city and the county governing body chair) and residency requirements, plus a seat for a branch courthouse area resident if applicable. It sets up a two-track selection: seven seats elected (initially by a Legislative Electoral College with defined term lengths and alternating House/Senate voting) and future vacancies filled by Senate/House members, with a key change after 1986 diverting vacancies from the Electoral College to the Legislature. It also defines term start dates (October 1), 60-day and 120-day timing rules for elections and appointments, and requires formal certifications and records; board members are unpaid except for expense reimbursement and must be qualified electors with limited other public offices.

Who It Affects

• Members of Jefferson County's state legislative delegation (House and Senate) and the Legislative Electoral College, who are responsible for electing seven board members and filling vacancies under the act.
• Residents and officials connected to Jefferson County's largest municipality and county government (including the mayor, the chair of the county governing body, and residents of the area served by the branch courthouse), who appear as residency requirements for board seats and as participants in the election/appointment process.

Key Provisions

• Creates a nine-member Board of Directors for the Civic Center Authority, including ex officio members: the mayor of the largest municipality in the county, and the President/Chair of the county governing body; a branch courthouse area resident may also sit if applicable; and none may be a member of the Legislative Electoral College.
• Nine seats include seven 'elected' seats (designated seats 1-7) with specified residency designations and four-year terms; terms begin October 1 and may be filled by designated electors as vacancies occur.
• Initial election method assigns two seats to be elected by the House, two by the Senate, and the remaining seats through alternating elections, with terms set at 2, 3, or 4 years as determined by the Legislative Electoral College; after each term, successors are elected by the respective bodies and alternate thereafter.
• After March 1, 1986, seven elected seats are no longer elected by the Legislative Electoral College; instead, Senate and House members from Jefferson County will elect successors alternately for vacancies and term expirations.
• Vacancies are filled by the body that originally elected the seat (House or Senate or the Legislative Delegation), with a 60-day limit; if not filled, the remaining Board members fill the vacancy.
• Board members serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for actual expenses; they must be qualified electors, and appointments cannot place more than one member from the same legislative body in public office (with a limited exception for the first members).
• Formal certification of elections and appointments is required, and records must be filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the Executive Director of the Authority, the probate judge, and entered in the Board's minutes.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Jefferson County