42-5273. CONSOLIDATION OF TWO OR MORE GROUND WATER DISTRICTS. Whenever the boards of directors of any two (2) or more ground water districts which together form a contiguous area determine that it is in the best interests of their respective districts that the districts be consolidated into a single ground water district and wish to proceed toward consolidation, the following procedures shall be followed:

(1) Each board shall petition its respective county commission in the counties identified by reference to section 42-5203, Idaho Code, for an order for an election to vote upon the question of such consolidation, which petition shall state in detail the terms upon which such consolidation is proposed to be made, and also shall transmit a copy of the petition to the department of water resources.

(2) Upon receiving the petitions, the department shall investigate questions affecting such proposed consolidation, and it shall make a report of the result of such investigations to each county commission with whom the petitions were filed not more than ninety (90) days after the department receives such petitions.

(3) After receiving the department’s report, each county commission, if it deems it advisable, shall make an order fixing the time for an election in the districts to vote upon the question of proposed consolidation, which time shall be at the first available date in accordance with section 34-106, Idaho Code. Notice of the election shall be published as required for notice of election in section 42-5209, Idaho Code, and the boards of directors shall make all necessary arrangements for such election in their respective districts as provided in this title for other elections. The ballots shall be substantially as follows: "Consolidation–Yes." "Consolidation–No."

(4) The boards of directors shall canvass the returns of the election as provided in case of usual ground water district elections, and shall immediately thereafter transmit, by messenger or registered mail, certified abstracts of the result of said election in their respective districts to the clerk of the county commission. Within ten (10) days after such returns are received by the clerk, the county commission shall meet and canvass the same.

(5) If it appears that a majority of all the votes cast in each of said districts is "Consolidation–Yes." said board shall make an order, and enter the same of record in its minutes, establishing said consolidated district, giving its boundaries and designation, and in detail the terms under which the consolidation has been effected, and dividing said consolidated districts into three (3) divisions, and shall appoint some person qualified under this title, to act as director for each of said divisions of said district until the next general election for the election of officers, when a board of directors shall be elected as provided in section 42-5218, Idaho Code; provided however, that the organization of such district shall not take effect until the first Tuesday of the January following said order of its establishment. If the date provided by law for the election of directors shall come between the date of said order of the county commission and the first Tuesday of January, then in making such order the board shall designate the board of directors of one (1) of the consolidated districts as a board to take charge of such election, and in that case a director shall be elected for each such division of the consolidated district, and no appointment of directors shall be made by the county commission.

(6) If, however, upon such canvass by the county commission, it appears that a majority of the votes cast in any district thus proposed to be consolidated is "Consolidation–No," then a record of that fact shall be entered in the same minutes of the county commission, and all the proceedings had under the preceding sections of this chapter shall be void.

History:

[42-5273, added 1995, ch. 290, sec. 1, p. 1011.]