AB85-engrossed,9 Section 9. 59.12 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,9,9 59.12 (2) The board at the time of the election of the chairperson shall also elect a member vice chairperson, for the same term, who in case of the absence or disability of the chairperson shall perform the chairperson's duties. The board at the time of the election of the chairperson may also elect a member 2nd vice chairperson, for the same term, who in case of the absence or disability of the chairperson and vice chairperson shall perform the duties of the chairperson. The Except for the board of a county with a population of 750,000 or more, the board may provide for the payment of additional compensation to the vice chairpersons.

AB85-engrossed,10 Section 10. 59.17 (2) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 59.17 (2) (b) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,9,13 59.17 (2) (b) (intro.) In any county with a population of 500,000 750,000 or more, appoint:

AB85-engrossed,9,25 1. Appoint and supervise the heads of all departments except where the statutes provide that the appointment shall be made by a board or commission or by other elected officers. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission or the county board or county board chairperson appoint a department head, except ss. 17.21 and 59.47 (3), the county executive shall appoint and supervise the department head. Notwithstanding any Except for a statutory provision which specifies that a board or commission or the county board shall supervise the administration of a department, the department head shall supervise the administration of the department county executive shall administer, supervise, and direct all county departments, including any person who provides lobbying services for, or negotiates on behalf of, the county, and the county board, other board, or commission shall perform any advisory or policy-making function authorized by statute. Any appointment by the county executive under this paragraph subdivision requires the confirmation of the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation. An appointee of the county executive may assume his or her duties immediately, pending board action which shall take place within 60 days after the county executive submits the appointment to the board for confirmation. Any department head appointed by a county executive under this subsection may be removed at the pleasure of the county executive. The county executive shall comply with hiring policies set by the board when making appointments under this paragraph.

AB85-engrossed,11 Section 11. 59.17 (2) (b) 2. to 6. of the statutes are created to read:

AB85-engrossed,10,18 59.17 (2) (b) 2. Establish departments in county government, and sections and divisions within those departments, that the county executive believes are necessary for the efficient administration of the county. Any department or subunit of a department that the county executive creates under this subdivision may not be established unless its creation and funding are approved by a vote of the board. The county executive shall administer, supervise, and direct any department or subunit of a department that is created under this subdivision, and those departments and subunits shall report to the county executive.

AB85-engrossed,10,23 3. Exercise the authority under s. 59.52 (6) (a) that would otherwise be exercised by a county board. With regard to the sale or lease of property, the county executive's action must be consistent with established county board policy and must be approved by the county board to take effect. The county board may only approve or reject the contract as negotiated by the county executive.

AB85-engrossed,11,5 4. Sign all contracts, conveyances, and evidences of indebtedness on behalf of the county, to the extent that no other county officer or employee is specifically required to sign such contracts, conveyances, and evidences of indebtedness, and countersign all other contracts, conveyances, and evidences of indebtedness. No contract with the county is valid unless it is signed or countersigned by the county executive and, as provided in ss. 59.255 (2) (e) and 59.42 (2) (b) 5., by the comptroller and corporation counsel.

AB85-engrossed,11,7 5. Introduce proposed ordinances and resolutions for consideration by the board.

AB85-engrossed,11,11 6. Hire and supervise the number of employees that the county executive reasonably believes are necessary for him or her to carry out the duties of the county executive's office, subject to board approval of the county executive department budget.

AB85-engrossed,11e Section 11e. 59.17 (2) (bm) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,11,14 59.17 (2) (bm) 1. (intro.) In any county with a population of 500,000 750,000 or more, appoint the following persons:

AB85-engrossed,12 Section 12. 59.17 (2) (bm) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,12,2 59.17 (2) (bm) 2. Each appointment under subd. 1. is subject to the confirmation of the county board and is in the unclassified service, serving at the pleasure of the county executive and holding office until a new appointment is made by the county executive and confirmed by the board. An appointee of the county executive may assume his or her duties immediately, pending board action which shall take place within 60 days after the county executive submits the appointment to the board for confirmation. No prior appointee may serve longer than 6 months after the term for which he or she was appointed and confirmed expires, unless reappointed and reconfirmed. The term of each appointment is 4 years or less. The county executive shall comply with hiring policies set by the board when making appointments under subd. 1.

AB85-engrossed,12e Section 12e. 59.17 (2) (br) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,12,21 59.17 (2) (br) In any county with a population of less than 500,000 750,000, appoint and supervise the heads of all county departments except those elected by the people and except where the statutes provide that the appointment shall be made by other elected officers. Notwithstanding any statutory provision that a board or commission or the county board or county board chairperson appoint a department head, except s. 17.21, the county executive shall appoint and supervise the department head. 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. An appointment by the county executive under this subsection requires the confirmation of the board unless the board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63. Any department head appointed by a county executive under this subsection may be removed at the pleasure of the county executive unless the department head is appointed under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63.

AB85-engrossed,13 Section 13. 59.22 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,13,5 59.22 (2) (a) Except for elective offices included under sub. (1), supervisors and circuit judges, and subject to s. 59.794 (3), the board has the powers set forth in this subsection, sub. (3) and s. 59.03 (1) as to any office, department, board, commission, committee, position or employee in county service created under any statute, the salary or compensation for which is paid in whole or in part by the county, and the jurisdiction and duties of which lie within the county or any portion thereof and the powers conferred by this section shall be in addition to all other grants of power and shall be limited only by express language.

AB85-engrossed,14 Section 14. 59.22 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,13,19 59.22 (3) Reimbursement for expense. The board may provide for reimbursement to any elective officer, deputy officer, appointive officer or employee for any out-of-pocket expense incurred in the discharge of that person's duty in addition to that person's salary or compensation, including without limitation because of enumeration, traveling expenses, tuition costs incurred in attending courses of instruction clearly related to that person's employment, and the board may establish standard allowances for mileage, room and meals, the purposes for which allowances may be made, and determine the reasonableness and necessity for such reimbursements, and also establish in advance a fair rate of compensation to be paid to the sheriff for the board and care of prisoners in the county jail at county expense. Any reimbursement paid under this subsection to an officer or employee of a county with a population of 750,000 or more is subject to the budget limitation described in s. 59.60 (7e).

AB85-engrossed,15 Section 15. 59.52 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB85-engrossed,14,5 59.52 (6) (a) How acquired; purposes. Take Except as provided in s. 59.17 (2) (b) 3., take and hold land acquired under ch. 75 and acquire, lease or rent property, real and personal, for public uses or purposes of any nature, including without limitation acquisitions for county buildings, airports, parks, recreation, highways, dam sites in parks, parkways and playgrounds, flowages, sewage and waste disposal for county institutions, lime pits for operation under s. 59.70 (24), equipment for clearing and draining land and controlling weeds for operation under s. 59.70 (18), ambulances, acquisition and transfer of real property to the state for new collegiate institutions or research facilities, and for transfer to the state for state parks and for the uses and purposes specified in s. 23.09 (2) (d).

AB85-engrossed,16 Section 16. 59.52 (31) of the statutes is created to read:

AB85-engrossed,14,8 59.52 (31) Public contracts, populous counties. (a) In this subsection, "county" means any county with a population of 750,000 or more.

AB85-engrossed,14,13 (b) 1. Any contract with a value of at least $100,000, but not more than $300,000, to which a county is a party and which satisfies any other statutory requirements, may take effect only if the board's finance committee does not vote to approve or reject the contract within 14 days after the contract is signed or countersigned by the county executive, or as described in subd. 2.

AB85-engrossed,14,18 2. If a board's finance committee votes to approve a contract described under subd. 1, the contract may take effect. If a board's finance committee votes to reject a contract described under subd. 1., the contract may take effect only if the contract is approved by a vote of the board within 30 days after the board's finance committee votes to reject the contract.

AB85-engrossed,14,22 (c) Any single contract, or group of contracts between the same parties which generally relate to the same transaction, with a value or aggregate value of more than $300,000, to which a county is a party and which satisfies any other statutory requirements, may take effect only if it is approved by a vote of the board.

AB85-engrossed,15,2 (d) With regard to any contract to which a county is a party and which is subject to review by the board or by a committee of the board under this subsection, the board's finance committee is the only committee which has jurisdiction over the contract.