Effective 28 Aug 1978

257.160. Regular elections of trustees, when held — number of trustees, how selected, terms, qualifications, vacancies filled, how — removal. — 1. The time for election of trustees of the board of the conservancy district shall be on primary election days, except as provided herein for the first board election.

2. There shall be eight trustees selected to constitute the board of the conservancy district. They shall be selected as follows:

(1) Six shall be elected, each to represent one of the six election districts of the conservancy district and to be elected by voters within his election district.

(2) Within sixty days after the first board election or succeeding elections for trustees, as the case might be, the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one trustee to represent election districts one, two and three, one trustee to represent election districts four, five and six.

(3) Trustees elected or appointed to the first board from election districts one, two and three shall hold office until the next primary election. Trustees from election districts four, five and six shall hold office until the second biennial primary election after their selection as members of the first board of trustees. Thereafter the terms of office of all eight trustees are for four years, election or appointment as provided herein to occur at the time of each primary election at which the respective previous terms of office expire.

(4) Candidates for election to the board of trustees shall be citizens of the United States, voters within their respective election districts for one year next preceding the election, and at least thirty years of age. In addition to possessing such qualifications, trustees appointed by the governor shall have previously demonstrated a broad knowledge and interest in the fields of natural resources, agriculture, forestry, or business and industry, and shall, wherever possible, come from a different area within their respective election districts from that of the elected trustees.

3. Notwithstanding any other provisions herein to the contrary, trustees whose terms of office expire shall hold office until their successors are elected or appointed, as the case may be, and until such successors are qualified.

4. In event of the vacancy of the office of any trustee, for whatever reason, before expiration of the term for the office, the following procedure shall govern:

(1) In the case of an elected trustee or a court appointed trustee, the court shall appoint a qualified person to serve until the next election, at which time there shall be elected a trustee to fill the unexpired term, if any, in the manner provided for the regular election of trustees.

(2) In the case of a trustee appointed by the governor, the governor shall appoint a qualified person to serve until the next election, at which time the unexpired term, if any, shall be filled by appointment following the election as herein provided for. A qualified person for vacancy appointments shall be the same as provided in the case of appointments by the governor as otherwise provided in this chapter.

5. (1) Any elected trustee, or any other officer of any district, not a trustee, may be removed for cause after a hearing upon a motion filed in the original case in which the district was organized.

(2) Any court appointed trustee may be removed by the court.

(3) Any trustee appointed by the governor may be removed by the governor.

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(L. 1959 S.B. 199 § 16, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)