A. To the extent outlined in this section, the administration of the plan and the responsibility for making the provisions of the plan effective for each employer are vested in a local board. The state department of corrections, the department of juvenile corrections, the department of public safety, each participating county sheriff's department, each participating city or town, each participating employer of full-time dispatchers for eligible groups as defined in section 38-842 and the judiciary shall have a local board. Each local board is constituted as follows:

1. 1. For the state departments, two members who are elected by secret ballot by members employed by that department in a designated position and two citizens who are appointed by the governor. The director of each state department shall appoint one member to the local board who is knowledgeable in personnel actions. Each state department local board shall elect a chairperson.
2. 2. For each participating county, the chairperson of the board of supervisors, or the chairperson's designee who is approved by the board of supervisors, as chairperson, two members who are elected by secret ballot by members employed by the participating county in a designated position and two citizens, one of whom shall be the head of the merit system if it exists for the group of members, who are appointed by the chairperson of the board of supervisors with the approval of the board of supervisors.
3. 3. For political subdivisions, the mayor or chief elected official or a designee of the mayor or chief elected official approved by the respective governing body as chairperson, two members elected by secret ballot by members employed by the appropriate employer and two citizens, one of whom shall be the head of the merit system if it exists for the group of members, appointed by the mayor or chief elected official and with the approval of the city council or governing body of the employer.
4. 4. For the judiciary, two members who are elected by secret ballot by members who are employed as a probation, surveillance or juvenile detention officer, a designee of the chief justice of the Arizona supreme court and two citizens, one of whom shall be the head of a human resource department for the group of members, appointed by the chief justice.

D. Except as limited by subsection E of this section, a local board shall:

1. 1. Decide all questions of eligibility for membership and disability and in the line of duty death benefits under the plan.
2. 2. Make a determination as to the right of a claimant to a disability or in the line of duty death benefit, issue opinions on questions of whether benefits are consistent with and allowable under the plan and afford a claimant or the board of trustees, or both, a right to a rehearing on the original determination. Except as otherwise required by law, unless all parties involved in a matter presented to the local board for determination otherwise agree, the local board shall commence a hearing on the matter within ninety days after the date the matter is presented to the local board for determination. If a local board fails to commence a hearing as provided in this paragraph, on a matter presented to the local board for determination, the relief demanded by the party petitioning the local board is deemed granted and approved by the local board.
3. 3. Request and receive from the employers and from members information as is necessary for the proper administration of the plan and action on claims for disability and in the line of duty death benefits and forward the information to the board of trustees.
4. 4. Distribute, in the manner the local board determines to be appropriate, information explaining the plan that is received from the board of trustees.
5. 5. Furnish the employer, the board of trustees and the legislature, on request, with annual reports with respect to the administration of the plan that are reasonable and appropriate.
6. 6. Appoint a medical board that is composed of a designated physician or physicians working in a clinic other than the employer's regular employee or contractor. If required, the local board may employ other physicians to report on special cases. The examining physician or clinic shall report the results of examinations made to the local board, and the secretary of the local board shall preserve the report as a permanent record.
7. 7. Sue and be sued to effectuate the duties and responsibilities set forth in this article.
8. 8. Prescribe procedures to be followed by claimants in filing applications for benefits.
9. 9. Receive and review the actuarial valuation of the plan for its group of members.
10. 10. Receive and review reports of the financial condition and of the receipts and disbursements of the fund from the board of trustees.

H. A claimant may apply for or the board of trustees may require a rehearing before the local board within the time periods prescribed in this subsection, except that if a decision of a local board violates the internal revenue code or threatens to jeopardize the plan's status as a qualified plan under the internal revenue code, any limitation period for the board of trustees to require a rehearing of a local board decision does not apply. A claimant or the board of trustees shall file an application for rehearing in writing with a member of the local board or its secretary within sixty days after:

1. 1. The claimant receives notification of the local board's original action by certified mail, by attending the meeting at which the action is taken or by receiving benefits from the plan pursuant to the local board's original action, whichever occurs first.
2. 2. The board of trustees receives notification of the local board's original action as prescribed by subsection G of this section by email or certified mail.