TITLE 42

IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE — WATER RIGHTS AND RECLAMATION

CHAPTER 32

WATER AND SEWER DISTRICTS

42-3207.  Hearings on petitions — Election for organization and directors. On the day fixed for such hearing or at any adjournment thereof the court shall ascertain from the tax rolls of the county or counties in which the district is located or into which it extends, the total number of taxpayers within the proposed district, who pay a general tax on real property owned by him or her within the district.

If the court finds that no petition has been signed and presented in conformity with this chapter, or that the material facts are not as set forth in the petition filed, it shall dismiss said proceedings and adjudge the costs against the signers of the petition in such proportion as it shall deem just and equitable. No appeal or writ of error shall lie from an order dismissing said proceedings; but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the filing of a subsequent petition or petitions for similar improvements or for a similar district, and the right so to renew such proceedings is hereby expressly granted and authorized.

Any time after the filing of the petition for the organization of a district and before the day fixed for the hearing thereon, the owner or owners of any real property within the proposed district may file a petition with the court stating reasons why said property should not be included therein, why his land or any part thereof will not be benefited by the proposed district, or should not be embraced in said district and made liable to taxation therefor, and praying that said property be excluded therefrom. Such petition shall be duly verified and shall describe the property sought to be excluded. The court shall conduct a hearing on said petition and shall hear all objections to the inclusion in the district of any lands described in said petition. In case any owner of real estate included in said proposed district shall satisfy the court that his real estate, or any part thereof, has been wrongfully included therein or will not be benefited thereby then the court shall exclude such real estate as will not be benefited.

Upon said hearing, if it shall appear that a petition for the organization of a district has been signed and presented as hereinabove provided, in conformity with this chapter, and the allegations of the petition are true, the court shall, by order duly entered of record, direct that the question of the organization of the district shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the district.

Such election shall be held in conformity with the general election in this state, including chapter 14, title 34, Idaho Code, except that the court shall establish as many election precincts within such proposed district as are deemed necessary, and shall define the boundaries thereof, which precincts and boundaries may thereafter be changed by the county commissioners if the district is organized.

At any time after the filing of the petition herein referred to and before the day fixed for hearing, nominees for the board of directors of the district may be nominated by the filing of a petition designating the name or names of the nominee or nominees, signed by at least five (5) qualified electors of the district. If upon the hearing as herein provided the court shall order an election for the creation of the district, the court shall also ascertain the names of persons nominated by the board of directors, and shall order that the names of persons whom the court finds to have been properly nominated shall be listed upon a ballot submitted to the electors at such election. In the event the court makes its order providing for such election, it shall prescribe the form of the question and ballot relating to the creation of the district, and also the form of the ballot relating to the election of the directors; provided that all matters may be contained upon one (1) ballot to be submitted to the voters.

At such election the voters shall vote for or against the organization of the district, and for five (5) qualified electors, who shall constitute the board of directors of the district, if organized, one (1) director to act until the first biennial election, two (2) until the second, and two (2) until the third biennial election.

The judges of election shall certify the returns of the election to the district court having jurisdiction. If a majority of the votes cast at said election are in favor of the organization, the district court shall declare the district organized and give it a corporate name by which, in all proceedings, it shall thereafter be known, and designated the first board of directors elected, and thereupon the district shall be a governmental subdivision of the state of Idaho and a body corporate with all the powers of a public or quasi-municipal corporation.

If an order be entered establishing the district, such order shall be deemed final and no appeal or writ of error shall lie therefrom, and the entry of such order shall finally and conclusively establish the regular organization of the said district against all persons except the state of Idaho, in an action in the nature of a writ of quo warranto, commenced by the attorney general within thirty (30) days after said decree declaring such district organized as herein provided, and not otherwise. The organization of said district shall not be directly or collaterally questioned in any suit, action or proceeding except as herein expressly authorized.

History:

[42-3207, added 1947, ch. 152, sec. 7, p. 364; am. 1955, ch. 63, sec. 2, p. 122; am. 1957, ch. 29, sec. 2, p. 40; 1967, ch. 186, sec. 1, p. 613; am. 1995, ch. 118, sec. 65, p. 480; am. 2010, ch. 185, sec. 14, p. 389.]