Mobile County and its municipalities may provide office support for the county legislative delegation, and several related payments and staffing arrangements are required.
(a) The governing body of Mobile County, jointly with the governing bodies of any incorporated municipalities within the county, may provide office accommodations for the members of the state legislative delegation from the county and also provide legislative assistants and an office manager to such legislative delegation. The largest city in Mobile County shall provide the office space and the telephone for the office, or at least the price thereof with the advice and consent of the delegation as to its location. The other incorporated municipalities in the county shall each pay eight cents per capita to cover other expenses of maintaining and operating such offices. The county shall provide for two legislative assistants and an office manager for the legislative delegation. The legislative assistants and the office manager, in the discretion of the county governing body, need not be members of any county, city, or state merit or retirement system, if such system exists. The amount of the compensation for each of the legislative assistants and the office manager shall be fixed by the members of the legislative delegation, subject to approval by the county governing body. The county governing body shall provide temporary help for the Mobile County Local Delegation during those times when the work load is excessive for the two assistants. The temporary help shall be provided for through a specific request by the chair of the delegation. The temporary help shall work during a time period not to exceed 10 working days, and payment for the help shall come from Mobile County. (b) The members of the legislative delegation from Mobile County shall designate a treasurer to handle the funds provided for in subsection (a) for the operation and maintenance of the office and for the payment of the salaries of clerical assistants. The treasurer may be either a member of the legislative delegation or one of the legislative employees provided for in this section. All funds authorized to be paid by the county or by any municipality therein for the purposes provided for in subsection (a) shall be paid to the treasurer of the legislative delegation. (c) All receipts and expenditures must be duly recorded in proper accounting books. These ledgers shall be available for public inspection at all reasonable times but with no more than a two day delay from the time of a request. (d) Three members of the delegation shall be appointed as a committee to audit financial records on an annual basis.