Chapter 2. General Powers of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 2.

The board of supervisors may divide the county into election, road, and supervisorial districts and change their boundaries as convenience requires.

Subject to the provisions of the Elections Code, the board may establish, abolish, and change election precincts, appoint inspectors, clerks, and judges of election, canvass all election returns, declare the result, and order the county elections official to issue certificates of election.

The board shall equalize assessments and levy taxes upon the taxable property of the county for all county purposes, and also upon the taxable property of any district for the construction and repair of roads and highways and other district purposes. No tax shall be levied upon any district until the proposition to levy the tax has been submitted to the qualified electors of the district and received a majority of all the votes cast upon the proposition.

The board shall direct and control the conduct of litigation in which the county, or any public entity of which the board is the governing body, is a party; by a two-thirds vote of all the members, the board may employ counsel to assist the district attorney, county counsel, or other counsel for the county or entity in the conduct of such actions; provided, however, that the board may authorize county officials, who are not attorneys, to initiate and conduct litigation in small claims court on behalf of the county.

The board may assume and discharge such municipal functions of the cities within the county as are authorized by any county charter.

If any county officer performs municipal duties imposed by a charter framed under Section 8 of Article XI of the California Constitution, the compensation and expense of the officer may be apportioned by the board of supervisors in proportion to the duties performed as a county officer under the general laws and performed as a municipal officer under the charter provision. The compensation determined to be for the performance of municipal duties shall be paid from municipal funds and the compensation determined to be for county duties shall be paid from county funds.

The board may direct the sheriff to attend, either in person or by deputy, all the meetings of the board, to preserve order, and to serve notices, subpenas, citations, or other process, as directed by the board.

The board may do and perform all other acts and things required by law not enumerated in this part, or which are necessary to the full discharge of the duties of the legislative authority of the county government.

Any ordinance adopted by a board of supervisors requiring any person who represents a corporation, firm, association, organization, or person other than himself in attempting to influence any action to be taken on a county decision by a board of supervisors or any county board, commission, committee or officer, to register or to disclose any information concerning such representation including, but not limited to, compensation received or expenditures made in the course of, or incidental to, such representation, shall be enforceable within the incorporated as well as the unincorporated area of the county. The term "county decision" shall include any decision, or any recommendation as to a decision, concerning any matter, whether legislative, administrative, or quasi-judicial, which is pending before, or may be submitted to, the board of supervisors or any county board, commission, committee, or officer. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a board of supervisors to require the registration of, or disclosure by, members of the State Bar of California in the performance of a service which lawfully can be performed only by an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California.

A county may disseminate information to the public concerning the rights, duties, properties, and activities of the county.

The board of supervisors may employ such persons as it deems necessary to assist the board in the performance of its duties. The board may adopt an ordinance defining the qualifications, duties and responsibilities of such persons.

The board of supervisors of a county may contract for optometric service with an optometrist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Business and Professions Code.

The board of supervisors of a county may expend county funds for the training and orientation of persons elected to, but who have not yet assumed office as, a member of the board of supervisors, including the payment of course fees, travel and per diem expenses, course materials, and consultant services, as the board deems proper and beneficial to the exercise of supervisorial duties by newly elected supervisors. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by ordinance adopted by the board of supervisors. The ordinance shall provide those procedures that the board determines are necessary. The ordinance shall also include a requirement that the supervisor-elect request the training and orientation.

The board of supervisors of a county has all of the powers to provide for community recreation which are granted to the governing board of a public authority by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 10900) of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code.

If real property is conveyed by a county and it is subsequently determined and mutually agreed by the board of supervisors and the person to whom the property was conveyed that an error was made in the description of the property conveyed, so that less property is included in the description than was intended by the parties, the board may by resolution recite the facts of such error and approve such determination and agreement; thereafter the board may execute or cause to be executed a corrective deed without conforming to the requirements of law, if any, for the sale of real property by counties and without commencing a judicial action to reform the deed. A similar procedure may be followed with respect to property conveyed to a county, where the error results in more property being conveyed than was intended. In either case the resolution of the board shall be conclusive as to the facts recited therein as to good faith purchasers or encumbrancers for value. This section shall not apply to a conveyance by or to a county if the error is in the published description required by law or charter, nor shall this section require notice of such sale or purchase to be published if not otherwise required by law.

(a) During any fiscal year, the board of supervisors of any county or city and county may upon the recommendation of the county auditor authorize the treasurer of the county or city and county to make a temporary transfer from the funds in his custody to any school district in the county or city and county. Such temporary transfer shall be made only in the event that the funds transferred are not immediately needed to pay claims against such funds of the county treasury, and the temporary transfer of funds made to eligible school districts shall not exceed an amount computed to be equal to 50 percent of the school district's entitlement for payment of Public Law 81-874 funds for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
  (b) School districts may repay such temporary transfer of funds without any interest to the county or city and county on or before June 1 of the fiscal year in which the funds were transferred. Upon receipt of Public Law 81-874 funds next following the aforesaid transfer, the school district shall immediately apply all of such funds to the repayment of the funds transferred pursuant to subdivision (a). If such temporary transfer of funds is not repaid by June 1 of the fiscal year in which the temporary transfer occurred, the county auditor shall withhold from the next principal apportionment of taxes an amount equal to the temporary transfer of funds and charges, less any repayments made by the school district.

The board of supervisors may do and perform all acts necessary to enable the county to participate in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as amended, and its successors, including the authorization of the expenditure by the county of whatever funds that may be required by the federal government as a condition to the county's participation.

The board of supervisors may do and perform all acts necessary to participate in the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-512) including the authorization of the expenditure by the county of funds received by the county pursuant to said act for the priority expenditures set forth in Section 103 of said act. The authorization as contained in this section is in addition to any other powers that a county may have to expend funds for purposes provided by law.

The board of supervisors may take all necessary action on behalf of the county to participate as a health maintenance organization in Section 1876 of the Social Security Act (Public Law 92-603, Section 226), or Section 300(e) of Title 42 of the United States Code, or any other health maintenance organization provision under Title 18 or 19 of the Social Security Act, or any or all of such provisions, and to provide to its enrollees services in addition to those described in subsection (c), as provided in subsection (g) of Section 1876, including the establishment, receipt, segregation and use of prepayments by and for the benefit of enrollees, execution and performance of contracts, and authorization of the expenditure by the county of whatever funds may be required therefor. In connection with a program under this section, county funds may be expended to provide county supplementation of enrollee prepayment amounts, up to 100 percent of the full prepayment amount for persons or families who, in the judgment of the county, are not financially capable of making the full prepayment.