23-2,100. Termination of township board; public hearing; notice; resolution; termination date; conduct of business; disposal of property; discontinuance of township organization of county.

(1) If a township board has become inactive, the county board of supervisors shall hold a public hearing on the issue of termination of the township board. Notice of the hearing shall be published for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. For purposes of this section, a township board has become inactive when two or more board positions are vacant and the county board has been unable to fill such positions in accordance with sections 32-567 and 32-574 for six or more months.

(2) If no appointment to the township board has been made within thirty days after the public hearing because no resident of the township has provided written notice to the county board that he or she will serve on the township board, the county board may adopt a resolution to terminate the township board. The resolution shall state the effective date of the termination.

(3) Between the date of the public hearing and the date of termination of the township board, the business of the township shall be handled according to this subsection. No tax distributions shall be made to the township. Such funds shall be held by the county board in a separate township fund and disbursed only to pay outstanding obligations of the township board. All claims against the township board shall be filed with the county clerk and heard by the county board. Upon allowance of a claim, the county board shall direct the county clerk to draw a warrant upon the township fund. The warrant shall be signed by the chairperson of the county board and countersigned by the county clerk.

(4) Upon termination of a township board, the county board shall settle all unfinished business of the township board and shall dispose of all property under ownership of the township. Any proceeds of such sale shall first be disbursed to pay any outstanding obligations of the township, and remaining funds shall be credited to the road fund of the county board. Any remaining township board members serving as of the date of termination shall deposit with the county clerk all township records, papers, and documents pertaining to the affairs of the township and shall certify to the county clerk the amount of outstanding indebtedness in existence on the date of termination. The county board shall levy a tax upon the taxable property located within the boundaries of the township to pay for construction and maintenance of township roads within the township and any outstanding indebtedness not paid for under this subsection. The county board shall have continuing authority to construct and maintain township roads within the township and to perform the functions provided in section 23-224 until such time as the township board is reconstituted by general election that results in the filling of all vacancies on the township board.

(5) If more than fifty percent of the township boards in a county have been terminated, the county board shall file with the election commissioner or county clerk a resolution supporting the discontinuance of the township organization of the county pursuant to subsection (2) of section 23-293.

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