A petition for election of directors by zones may be signed and filed with the board of directors by registered voters residing within a local hospital district, equal in number to at least 15 percent of the number of votes cast in that district for the office of Governor at the last preceding election at which a Governor was elected. Upon receipt of this petition the board of directors shall, by resolution, divide the local hospital district into zones and number the zones consecutively.

Alternatively, and without a petition, the board of directors may adopt a resolution to divide the district into zones and number the zones consecutively.

In establishing these zones, the board of directors shall provide for representation in accordance with demographic, including population, and geographic factors of the entire area of the local hospital district. The board of directors shall fix the time and place for a hearing on the proposed establishment of zones. At this hearing, any elector of the district may present his or her views and plans in relation to the proposed zoning, but the board of directors shall not be bound thereby and their decision, in the resolution adopted, shall be final.

The zones shall be effective for the next district election after the resolution of the board for which there is time to implement the zones and elections within the zones, unless a petition requesting an election on the resolution, containing the signatures of not less than 5 percent of the qualified registered voters of the district, is filed with the county elections official within 60 days after passage of the resolution. The form of the petition and the requirements and procedures applicable thereto shall be governed by Article 2 (commencing with Section 9140) of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of the Elections Code, except that all computations referred to in those sections shall be construed to refer to comparable computations of the district, and references to “ordinance” shall be construed to refer to “resolution.” For purposes of this section, the electors of the district shall be the electors of the territory entitled to vote at elections for members of the board. If a valid and timely petition is filed with the county elections official, then the board shall prepare a measure to be printed on the ballots used at the next general hospital district election, or at a special election to be held for that purpose. The measure shall be printed on the ballots substantially as follows:

“Shall members of the board of directors be elected by zones, as described in the resolution of the board of directors dated ____?”, with the words “Yes” and “No” so printed in connection therewith that the voters may express their choice.

The county elections official shall accept arguments for and against the measure, to be mailed to each registered voter in the district, in accordance with Article 3 (commencing with Section 9160) of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

The returns of the election shall be canvassed and declared as at other general hospital district elections, and if it appears that a majority of the votes cast in the election are in favor of the measure, the board of directors shall by resolution declare the zones established and shall describe the boundaries of the zones. At the expiration of the terms of office of the members of the board of directors then in office, and thereafter, these members of the board of directors shall be elected by zones. One member of the board of directors shall be elected by the electors of each of the zones. No person shall be eligible to hold the office of member of the board of directors unless he or she has been a resident of the zone from which he or she is elected for 30 days next preceding the date of the election.

The formation of a local hospital district may provide for the election of members of the board of directors by zones by substantially including in the petition for formation the provisions required by this section to be included in the measure, and the members of the board of directors shall be elected from the zones as described in the petition, except that the first board of directors shall be appointed, upon the formation of the district, by the board of supervisors of the county in which the land or a greater part of the land in the district is situated. One member of the board shall be appointed from each zone.

The terms of the members of the first board of directors appointed under this section shall be determined by lot. Three members shall hold office for four years, and two members shall hold office for two years. Thereafter, the term of office for all members shall be four years.

Any vacancy upon the board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the board, from the zone left unrepresented on the board of directors. Any person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 923, Sec. 150. Effective January 1, 1995.)