§7-17-6. County fire board creation and management; membership; terms of members; vacancies.

The county fire association upon two-thirds vote of its membership shall submit an application to the county commission requesting that the county commission create the county fire board. Upon receipt of such application the county commission may by majority vote create such a fire board and if so created the county fire board, if authorized, shall be a corporation. The county fire board shall establish the funding priorities for the fire departments forming the fire association and shall present a list of those priorities to the county commission. However, no fire department or representative of a fire department who is a member of the fire board or fire association may apply for county funding from the county commission except as provided for in subsection seven, section ten of this article. The bylaws of the county fire board and standards of operation of the fire association shall be submitted to, and approved by, the state Fire Commission and county commission.

The county fire board shall consist of seven members. The initial appointment to the county fire board shall begin on July 1, 1984. One county commissioner, chosen by the county commission, shall serve on the board. The county commission shall make the initial appointments to the fire board so that one third of the fire association members and the citizen members to be so appointed shall be appointed for a term of one year, one third of the fire association members and the citizen members shall be appointed for a term of two years and one third of the fire association members and the citizen members shall be appointed for a term of three years. As the term of each such initial appointee expires, the successor to fill the vacancy created by such expired term shall be appointed by the county commission for a term of three years. The county fire association shall submit to the county commission the names of five members of the fire association, three of whom shall be appointed by the county commission to serve a term of three years. Such members are limited to two consecutive terms. Three citizen members shall be appointed by the county commission to serve on the board. The citizen members may not be associated with fire service or the county commission. The citizen members must be residents of the county of which the county fire board is formed and not more than one citizen member may be appointed from the same magisterial district in the county. The citizen members shall serve for a term of three years but are limited to two consecutive terms. If a member resigns or for any other reason his membership terminates during his term of office, a successor shall be appointed from the same representative area to fill out the remainder of his term. Members in office at the expiration of their respective terms shall continue to serve until their successors have been appointed and have qualified.

Annually the board shall elect one of its appointed members as chairman and another as vice chairman, and shall appoint a secretary-treasurer. Four members of the board shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of four members shall be necessary for any action taken by vote of the board. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the rights of a quorum by such vote to exercise all the rights and perform all duties of the board.