Effective 28 Aug 1939

245.320. Change of organization to be submitted to an election. — 1. Any such levee district now existing but not organized under sections 245.285 to 245.545 may become organized under sections 245.285 to 245.545, and when so organized hereunder, shall be entitled to the benefit of all of the provisions of sections 245.285 to 245.545 in the following manner: Upon the presentation of a petition of not less than ten resident landowners whose lands are taxed in such district proposing to reorganize, or if such district shall be composed of lands lying in more than one county, then upon the presentation of a petition of ten such resident taxed landowners, from each of the counties in which the lands in such district are situate, to the board of directors, supervisors or managers of such district (by whatever name they may be known) requesting the submission to an election of the question of a change of organization, such board of directors shall enter upon the record of the district proposing to change its organization, the fact of the presentation of the petition, the object thereof, and the names and residences of the petitioners requesting that such election be held; such board of directors, if a majority thereof are in favor of such change, shall make an order that the question of such proposed change shall be submitted to a vote of the landowners.

2. A certified copy of the record of the board of directors, together with a true certified copy of the petition of the landowners, shall be presented to the county commission of the county in which such district is situated, at some regular term thereof, or to each of the county commissions of the counties composing such district, if there be more than one county therein. Upon the receipt of the record at any regular term the county commission, or commissions, shall make an order that an election be held in the district, or in each county in the district, if there be more than one county, for the purpose of voting upon the question of the proposed change. This election shall be held not more than sixty days after the same shall be ordered. No one shall be a qualified voter at such election unless his or her name shall appear as an assessed landowner upon the current tax books of the district. Each such landowner shall be entitled to cast as many votes as he or she shall have acres of land assessed for taxation in the district as shown by the said tax books of the district. Voters may vote in person or by proxy; provided, that all proxies shall be in writing and acknowledged as deeds of conveyance are required to be acknowledged. The election shall be held at the county seat of the county or counties composing the district, but the same need not be held on the same day in each county, if there be more than one.

3. Four judges and two clerks of election shall be appointed for each county in the district by the board of directors of the district seeking the change of organization, by and with the consent of the county commission. Notice of said election shall be given by publication in some newspaper published in the county in which the election is held for at least four insertions prior to the holding of the same. The judges and clerks of election shall be sworn in the manner now required by law for the holding of municipal elections. The judges and clerks of election shall certify to the county commission of the county wherein such election was held the result thereof, which certificates shall show the votes for and against the proposed change of organization.

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(RSMo 1939 § 12600)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 11010; 1919 § 4702