1. The auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, and county attorney may each appoint, with approval of the board, one or more deputies, assistants, or clerks for whose acts the principal officer is responsible. The number of deputies, assistants, and clerks for each office shall be determined by the board and the number and approval of each appointment shall be adopted by a resolution recorded in the minutes of the board.
2. When an appointment has been approved by the board, the principal officer making the appointment shall issue a written certificate of appointment which shall be filed and kept in the office of the auditor. A certificate of appointment may be revoked in writing by the principal officer making the appointment, which revocation shall also be filed and kept in the office of the auditor.
3. Each deputy officer shall give bond in an amount determined by the officer who has the authority to approve the bond of the deputy’s principal officer, with sureties to be approved by that officer. Upon approval, the bond shall be filed and kept in the office of the auditor. Each deputy officer shall take the same oath as the deputy’s principal officer which shall be endorsed on the certificate of appointment. The bond of a deputy sheriff shall be either a bond or liability policy as required by the sheriff with the approval of the board.
4. Each deputy officer, assistant and clerk shall perform the duties assigned by the principal officer making the appointment. During the absence or disability of the principal officer, the first deputy, or designee in those instances where there is no first deputy or in the absence or disability of the first deputy, shall perform the duties of the principal officer.
5. The auditor may also appoint temporary assistants as provided in section 331.503 and the county attorney may appoint temporary assistants or a full-time prosecutor as provided in section 331.757.
6. The maximum age for a person to be employed as a deputy sheriff appointed pursuant to this section is sixty-five years of age.
83 Acts, ch 186, §10098, 10201; 86 Acts, ch 1061, §1; 94 Acts, ch 1173, §31; 98 Acts, ch 1183, §112