HB473 Summary

• Amends Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Personnel Merit System by modifying qualifications, election procedures, and appeal processes for the Sheriff's Office Personnel Appeals Board.

• Changes board member age requirement from 21 years to 18 years and removes requirement that board members be "residents of the county" (clarifying residency is required elsewhere in code).

• Modifies employee voting process for board selection from voting for two names to voting for only one name, and changes runoff election criteria from 25 percent plurality to requiring a majority vote.

• Eliminates requirement for Baldwin County legislative delegation members to be present during ballot tabulation; instead requires written certification from county employees who assisted with ballot counting.

• Establishes that employees have 7 work days to appeal adverse board decisions to Circuit Court of Baldwin County based on the administrative hearing record.