22-29-103. Applicability to special districts; general provisions.

(a) This act applies to the following districts as specified in subsection (b) of this section:

(i) Special cemetery districts;

(ii) Conservation districts;

(iii) Fire protection districts, including county commission fire protection districts;

(iv) Flood control districts;

(v) Hospital districts;

(vi) Improvement and service districts;

(vii) Special museum districts;

(viii) Rural health care districts;

(ix) Sanitary and improvement districts;

(x) Water and sewer districts;

(xi) Watershed improvement districts;

(xii) Resort districts;

(xiii) Other districts as specified by law.

(b) This act specifies requirements pertaining to elections and changes in the organization of the districts listed in subsection (a) of this section where the principal act is silent or unclear. Except as provided by W.S. 22-29-401(b), the specific provisions of a principal act are effective and controlling to the extent they conflict with this act.

(c) If a proposed district crosses county boundaries, then any required filing with a county clerk shall be filed with or certified to the county clerks of the counties affected. Any action required or permitted by this act, a principal act or applicable rules to be undertaken by a county commission or the county commissioners shall be undertaken jointly by the county commissioners for each county involved. In undertaking joint action, each county commissioner's vote shall be weighted in proportion to the number of county commissioners and the population of electors of the district residing within that commissioner's county. The population of electors shall be determined by the most recent voter registration lists. Any consultation required of the county assessor or county treasurer shall be made jointly by the county assessor or county treasurer of all the affected counties.

(d) If a district is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations or adopt ordinances or bylaws, the district shall file any rules and regulations it promulgates, ordinances or bylaws it adopts and any amendments thereto with the county clerk for each county in which it is located. No rule, regulation, ordinance or bylaw shall be effective unless filed in accordance with this subsection.

(e) All special districts shall file a copy of the document authorizing formation or modification of boundaries, a citation to the law under which it is formed and a copy of an official map or legal description designating the geographical boundaries of the district or the changes to its geographical boundaries with the department of revenue, the county assessor and the county clerk in the county or counties within which the entity is located in accordance with the department's rules adopted pursuant to W.S. 39-11-102(c)(xxiv) regarding tax districts and as follows:

(i) Within ten (10) business days after the effective date of formation; and

(ii) Annually, by a date determined by the department, if a special district has changes to its geographical boundaries by enlargement, merger, consolidation, exclusion or dissolution in the preceding year.

(f) The department of revenue in adopting rules implementing the provisions of subsection (e) of this section may accept in lieu of a document authorizing the original formation of a district a statement of the district secretary stating that the document is unavailable together with a map or other description of the current boundaries of the district which allows the department to accurately ascertain the property within the district.