80-2503. Hospital districts in adjoining political subdivisions; procedure to establish; petition and election; inclusion of territory in existing districts, when. (a) Any two or more adjoining political subdivisions are hereby authorized to join in the establishment of a hospital district and in the acquisition, construction or reconstruction, improvement, enlargement, remodeling or repairing of a hospital within such hospital district and in the operation and maintenance of any such hospital.

(b) Upon the presentation to the board of commissioners of the county in which such political subdivisions, or the greater portion of the territory thereof, are located, of a petition setting forth the boundaries of the proposed hospital district and requesting the formation of such hospital district, and stating that a person who has signed the petition may withdraw such person's name from the petition by giving written notice thereof at any time within three days following the date of signing the petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays to the county election officer of the county in which such political subdivision, or the greater portion of the territory of the proposed district, is located, signed by not less than 51% of the qualified electors of the proposed district and who reside within the limits of each political subdivision proposing to join in the establishment of the hospital district, the sufficiency of such petitions to be determined by an enumeration taken and verified for this purpose by the county election officer of the county in which such political subdivision, or the greater portion of the territory of the proposed district, is located, it shall be the duty of the board of county commissioners, at its next regular meeting, to examine the petition. If the board of county commissioners finds that the petition is sufficient, regular and in due form as is provided in this section, such board shall enter an order in its proceedings establishing the hospital district. If any political subdivision within the territory of the proposed district owns and is operating a hospital at the time the petitions are filed, the petitions shall be accompanied by a copy of a resolution adopted by the governing body of the political subdivision within such district which owns the hospital, which resolution shall state that the political subdivision agrees to convey the hospital together with all the hospital equipment and the tract of land upon which the hospital is located to and for the use of the proposed hospital district. The governing body of the political subdivision is hereby authorized and directed to adopt such a resolution and to make such conveyance.

(c) Territory included within the boundaries of an existing hospital district operating and maintaining a hospital shall not be included in a new hospital district unless a majority of the qualified electors of the existing hospital district voting at an election vote to be included in such new hospital district. Such election shall be held in conformity with statutes applicable to question submitted elections.

History: L. 1984, ch. 374, § 3; July 1.