§19-21A-14. Discontinuing and reforming districts.

(a) At any time after five years following the organization of a district under the provisions of this article, any twenty-five owners of land lying within the boundaries of a district may file a petition with the state Conservation Committee praying that the district be discontinued and the county or counties of the district be added to another district or districts.

(b) The committee shall conduct one or more public meetings or public hearings upon the petition in the affected county or counties including the district or districts which may accept one or more counties from the district being discontinued. After the public meetings or hearings have been held by the committee, it shall notify the Secretary of State that a referendum question is to be added to the ballot of the next primary or general election to be held in the county or counties of the affected districts.

(c) The questions shall be submitted by ballots or electronic voting system upon which the words "For discontinuing the ____________________________ (name of the conservation district to be here inserted) and adding __________ (county or counties) to ____________ (district or districts) (If one or more counties in a district are to be combined with one or more other districts, each combination must be specified.)" and "Against discontinuing the ___________________________ (name of the conservation district to be here inserted)" shall appear, with a square before each proposition and a direction to mark the square before one or the other of the propositions as the voter may favor or oppose discontinuance of the district. All registered voters lying within the boundaries of the district to be discontinued and the district or districts to which all or part of the district being discontinued may be added are eligible to vote on the referendum.

(d) If a majority of the votes cast in the referendum are in favor of discontinuing the district, the supervisors shall proceed to terminate the affairs of the district. The supervisors of the district being discontinued shall file an application to discontinue the district with the Secretary of State. The application shall recite the process undertaken in discontinuing the district and the distribution of the property, assets, liabilities, contracts, duties and responsibilities and transfer of territory to one or more districts.

(e) The Secretary of State shall issue to the supervisors a certificate of discontinuance and shall record the certificate in an appropriate book of record in his or her office.

(f) The supervisors of the district or districts gaining all or part of the discontinued district shall file an application with the Secretary of State adding the additional territory to such district or districts.

(g) The property, assets, liabilities, contracts, duties and responsibilities of the district shall be assigned in accordance with the division of the district.

(h) All contracts entered into by the district being discontinued or its supervisors are parties shall remain in force and effect for the period provided in the contract. The reformed district receiving the assets, liabilities, duties and responsibilities related to the contract shall be substituted for the district or supervisors as party to such contracts. The reformed district shall be entitled to all benefits and subject to all liabilities under such contract and have the same right and liability to perform, to require performance, to sue and be sued thereon and to modify or terminate such contracts by mutual consent or otherwise, as the supervisor or district would have had.

(i) The State Conservation Committee shall not entertain petitions for the discontinuance of any district nor conduct referenda upon such petitions nor make determinations pursuant to such petitions in accordance with the provisions of this article more often than once in three years.