County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections

Responsibilities of the County Auditor
The County Auditor position is an elected position.  Auditors are elected to 4-year terms and run on the ballot during Presidential Elections.

There are a variety of functions and duties in the auditor's office. The main functions are:

• Preparing and certifying tax levies
• Maintaining financial records
• Clerk to the Board of Supervisors
• Commissioner of Elections
• Keeping Real Estate Transfer Records
• Passport Acceptance Agency
• Provide Notary Public Services

Tax Levies
The Auditor calculates tax rates for all taxing entities in the county (schools, cities, townships, etc.). By applying taxes levied by those entities to the valuation of each property as determined by the Assessor and then prepares a tax list showing each taxpayer's share of the total. These figures are then certified to the county Treasurer's Office. Many of the records prepared in the Auditor's Office are maintained permanently and are available for public use.

Financial Duties
Financial duties of the Auditor include the preparation of the county's budget from material submitted by its departments and other agencies and issuing payment for all services, materials, and payroll charged to the county. The Auditor then maintains a ledger for each department in the county throughout the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The Auditor also keeps and maintains permanent financial records for the county. Many financial reports are published for public information.

Board of Supervisors Clerk
As clerk to the Board of Supervisors, the Auditor may perform a variety of duties depending on the size of the county. The Auditor may accept petitions, register complaints, or act on routine business in absence of the board. The Auditor often prepares board meeting agendas, notifies the media, attends board meetings, keeps and records board meeting minutes, and publishes the proceedings in the official county newspapers. The Auditor initiates bid notices, solicits proposals for county contracts for materials and services, and receives contract proposals. Official papers dealing with Board of Supervisors' business are referenced and maintained by the Auditor.

Commissioner of Elections
As Commissioner of Elections, the Auditor is in charge of all regular and special elections in the county - federal, state, county, city, and school district. The Auditor prepares and supervises the printing of ballots and/or programming of voting machines as well as ordering all election supplies. The Auditor also conducts training for precinct election officials and provides information to see that the election laws of Iowa are obeyed. This is an important trust placed in the Auditor's care. Assurance that the voting process is conducted according to the laws is very important. The Auditor provides public information for and conducts voter registration efforts in the county. The Auditor maintains all official voter registration records. After an election, the Auditor certifies the results to the state or to the political subdivision involved, and issues certificates of election to the proper persons. Some election records are maintained permanently, others for a specified period of time.

Real Estate Transfer Records
The County Auditor enters and maintains records of all real estate transfers in the county. The Auditor keeps the plat maps and transfer books current, so that the public can examine the books to determine property ownership. The Auditor's Office works closely with area realtors, attorneys, property owners and other individuals who deal with real estate transactions.
 
Passport Services
The Floyd County Auditor's Office is an acceptance agency for US Passport Applications. First time applicants must apply in person, submit evidence of citizenship, present identification, provide a passport photo, and pay applicable fees.  The Auditor's Office can take passport photos. Contact the Auditor's office or visit travel.state.gov for more information.

Notary Public Services
A notary public is a person commissioned or appointed by the Iowa Secretary of State to serve as an impartial and unbiased witness by identifying persons who come before the notary.  The most common function of the notary is to prevent fraud by attesting that a person actually signed a document.  The responsibilities of an Iowa notary public are critical to the legal, business, financial, and real estate communities and should be taken seriously.  Floyd County Auditor's Office has several staff who can provide notary services.