The senator of each county included in a regional housing authority shall appoint one person as a commissioner of such authority and each such commissioner to be first appointed by the senator of a county may be appointed at or after the time of the adoption of the resolution declaring the need of such regional housing authority or declaring the need for the inclusion of such county in the area of operation of such regional housing authority. When the area of operation of a regional housing authority is increased to include an additional county or counties as herein provided, the senator of each such county shall thereupon appoint one additional person as a commissioner of the regional housing authority. The senator of each county shall appoint the successor of the commissioner appointed by him or by any senator preceding him in office. If any county is excluded from the area of operation of a regional housing authority, the office of the commissioner of such regional housing authority appointed by the senator of such county shall be thereupon abolished. If the area of operation of a regional housing authority consists at any time of an even number of counties, the commissioners of the regional housing authority appointed by the senators of such counties shall appoint not less than one nor more than three persons as commissioners of the authority created for the region. At least one of the commissioners appointed shall be a person who is directly assisted by the public housing authority. However, there shall be no requirement to appoint such a person if the authority (1) operates less than three hundred public housing units, (2) provides reasonable notice to the resident advisory board, if applicable, of the opportunity for at least one person who is directly assisted by the authority to serve as a commissioner, and (3) within a reasonable time after receipt of the notice by the resident advisory board, has not been notified of the intention of any such person to serve. The person directly assisted by the authority shall be appointed unless the authority's rules require that the person be elected by other persons who are directly assisted by the authority.

No commissioner who is also a person directly assisted by the public housing authority shall be qualified to vote on matters affecting his official conduct or matters affecting his own individual tenancy, as distinguished from matters affecting tenants in general. No more than one third of the members of any housing authority commission shall be tenants of the authority or recipients of housing assistance through any program operated by the authority.

The commissioners of such authority appointed by the senators of such counties shall likewise appoint each person to succeed such additional commissioner; provided, that the term of office of such person begins during the terms of office of the commissioners appointing him.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 36-206; 1952 Code Section 36-206; 1942 Code Section 5271-56; 1940 (41) 1687; 1942 (42) 1742; 1999 Act No. 50, Section 3.