48-2361. Power of certain districts to change form of governing body

A. A district organized under the provisions of this chapter prior to March 6, 1952 and having within its boundaries not less than one hundred seventy-five thousand acres of land under cultivation may by appropriate resolution of its governing body:

1. Provide for its government and management by a board of directors and by a council elected as provided by this article.

2. Increase the number of divisions and directors in the district to ten, which shall severally consist of contiguous territory and be as nearly uniform in contour and contain as near an equal number of acres as practicable, and which shall be numbered consecutively from one to ten.

3. Fix the date or dates of election of directors and councilmen, and pending an election, complete its organization by appointment of such directors and councilmen as is necessary to fill the vacancies thus created, and assign to the newly created divisions prior elected directors who had been elected at large or from original divisions.

4. Adopt bylaws and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this article necessary for the efficient management of the district.

B. In any district which has by appropriate resolution adopted the alternative form of administration provided for in subsection A of this section, there shall be added four additional directors to the board of directors as follows:

1. Within thirty days after September 23, 1976, the board of supervisors of the county in which the district has been organized shall appoint two additional directors, one of whom shall be appointed to fill the at large directors' seat number 12 and the other shall be appointed to fill the at large directors' seat number 14. Such directors shall be appointed for terms expiring in 1978.

2. Beginning with the district election held in 1980, two additional directors shall be elected to fill at large directors' seats numbers 11 and 13.

3. The directors added to the board pursuant to this section as at large directors shall at the time of appointment or election be owners of land located within the district and shall be residents of the district. Thereafter, the additional directors shall be elected pursuant to section 48-2365 and vacancies filled pursuant to section 48-2366.