Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 400.15 (2026)

Appointing powers

✓ current as of July 2026

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1. All appointments or promotions to positions within the scope of this chapter other than those of chief of police and chief of fire department shall be made:

a. In cities under the commission form of government, by the superintendents of the respective departments, with the approval of the city council.

b. In cities under the city manager plan, by the city manager.

c. In all other cities, with the approval of the city council.

d. In the police and fire departments, by the chiefs of the respective departments.

2. All such appointments or promotions shall promptly be reported to the clerk of the commission by the appointing officer. An appointing authority may transfer an employee, other than police officers and fire fighters, from one department to the same civil service classification in another department, and such employee shall retain the same civil service status. [SS15, §1056-a32; C24, 27, 31, 35, §5698; C39, §5699.2; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, §365.15; C75, 77, 79, 81, §400.15] 97 Acts, ch 162, §8; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §51\n\nTue Dec 09 22:13:07 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 400 (37, 2) §400.16, CIVIL SERVICE 10 \n

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1977–2010 · leading case: McBride v. City of Sioux City, 444 N.W.2d 85 (Iowa 1989).

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McBride v. City of Sioux City, 444 N.W.2d 85 (Iowa 1989). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code § 400.15 ; 1938 Op.Iowa Att’y Gen.”

Lewis v. Civil Svc. Com'n of City of Ames, 776 N.W.2d 859 (Iowa 2010). · cites it 2× “” Section 400.15 notes that in cities under a city manager plan, the city manager has appointing power.”

Airport Comm'n for the Cedar Rapids v. Schade, 257 N.W.2d 500 (Iowa 1977). “See § 400.15. The separate classification for safety force members in no way conflicts with the purposes of the civil service laws.”

Smith v. Des Moines Civil Serv. Comm'n, 561 N.W.2d 75 (Iowa 1997). · cites it 2× “There is not even any suggestion of formal action by the chief of the fire department as the appointing authority under section 400.15. The only evidence received concerning the source of the policy that the city applied to Smith is a document reproduced on the stationery of the…”

Conkel v. Civil Serv. Comm'n, 444 N.W.2d 92 (Iowa 1989). · cites it 4× “If these positions were to be filled, the chief should have appointed Conkel and Christian, who were both on the eligibility lists, outright pursuant to his power under section 400.15. Even if the chief had appointed them in accordance with section 400.”

Steven C. Lewis Vs. Civil Serv. Comm'n Of The City Of Ames, Iowa & City Of Ames, Iowa (Iowa 2010). · cites it 2× “” Section 400.15 notes that in cities under a city manager plan, the city manager has appointing power.”

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