(a) Before circulating any petition, the proponents shall publish a notice of intention which shall include a written statement not to exceed 500 words in length, setting forth the reasons for forming the county service area, the proposed services and facilities that the county service area will provide, and the proposed methods by which the county service area will be financed. The notice shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the territory proposed to be included within the county service area.

(b) The notice shall be signed by one or more petitioners, and shall be in substantially the following form:

“Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition.

Notice is hereby given of the intention to circulate a petition to form the ___________ ?number or distinctive name of the county service area?. The reasons for forming the proposed county service area are: _______________________. The proposed services and facilities that the county service area will provide are: ________________________. The proposed method(s) by which the county service area will finance those services and facilities are: ________________________________.”

(c) Within five days after the date of publication, the proponents shall file with the executive officer of the local agency formation commission and the clerk of the board of supervisors a copy of the notice together with an affidavit made by a representative of the newspaper or newspapers in which the notice was published certifying to the fact of the publication.

(d) After the filing required by subdivision (c), the petition may be circulated for signatures.

(Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 158, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)