Effective 28 Aug 2002

247.030. Territory included in district, contiguous — boundaries of districts, how changed — extension or enlargement of district, how. — 1. Territory that may be included in a district sought to be incorporated or enlarged may be wholly within one or in more than one county, may take in school districts or parts thereof, and cities that do not have a waterworks system or cities whose governing body has by a majority vote requested that the city or part thereof be included within the boundaries of a public water supply district. For the purpose of this section, "city" means any city, town or village. The territory, however, shall be contiguous, and proceedings to incorporate shall be in the circuit court of the county in which the largest acreage is located. No two districts shall overlap.

2. Any two or more contiguous districts or any city and a contiguous district may, if there are no outstanding general obligation bonds relating to drinking water supply projects in either entity, by a majority vote of the governing body of each entity, provide for territory located in one entity to be annexed and served by the entity contiguous to the annexed territory. Notice of the proposed annexation shall be filed with the circuit court that originally issued the decree of incorporation for a district which is detaching territory through the proposed annexation or with the circuit court that originally issued the decree of incorporation for a district which is including a city or part thereof through the proposed annexation. The court shall set a date for a hearing on the proposed annexation and shall cause notice to be published in the same manner as for the filing of the original petition for incorporation; except that publication of notice shall not be required if a majority of the landowners in the territory proposed to be annexed consent in writing, and if notice of the hearing is posted in three public places within the territory proposed to be annexed at least seven days before the date of the hearing. If publication of the notice is not required pursuant to this section, the court shall only approve the proposed annexation if there is sworn testimony by at least five landowners in the area of the proposed annexation, or a majority of the landowners, if there are fewer than ten landowners in the area. If the court, after the hearing, finds that the proposed annexation would not be in the public interest, it shall order that the annexation not be allowed. If the court finds the proposed annexation to be in the public interest, it shall approve the annexation and the territory shall be detached from the one entity and annexed to the other. After the annexation is approved, the circuit court in which each district involved in the proceedings was incorporated shall amend the decree of incorporation for each district to reflect the change in the boundaries as a result of the annexation and redivide each district into five subdistricts, fixing their boundary lines so that each of the five subdistricts have approximately the same area. A certified copy of the amended decree showing the boundary change and the new subdistricts shall be filed in the office of the recorder of deeds and in the office of the county clerk in each county having territory in the district and in the office of the secretary of state of the state of Missouri.

3. The boundaries of any district may be extended or enlarged from time to time upon the filing, with the clerk of the circuit court having jurisdiction, of a petition by either:

(1) The board of directors of the district and five or more voters or landowners within the territory proposed to be annexed by the district; or

(2) The board of directors of the district and a majority of the landowners within the territory proposed to be annexed to the district.

­­If the petition is filed by the board of directors of the district and five or more voters or landowners within the territory proposed to be annexed by the district, the same proceedings shall be followed as are provided in section 247.040 for the filing of a petition for the organization of the district, except that no election shall be held. Upon entry of a final order declaring the court's decree of annexation to be final and conclusive, the court shall modify or rearrange the boundary lines of the subdistricts as may be necessary or advisable. If the petition is filed by the board of directors of the district and a majority of the landowners within the territory proposed to be annexed, the publication of notice shall not be required, provided notice is posted in three public places within the territory proposed to be annexed at least seven days before the date of the hearing and provided that there is sworn testimony by at least five landowners in the territory proposed to be annexed, or a majority of the landowners if the total landowners in the area are fewer than ten. If the court finds that the annexation of such territory would be in the public interest, the court shall enter its order granting such annexation. Upon the entry of such order, the court shall modify or rearrange the boundary lines of the subdistricts as may be necessary or advisable. The costs incurred in the enlargement or extension of the district shall be taxed to the district, if the district be enlarged or extended, otherwise against the petitioners; provided, however, that no costs shall be taxed to the directors of the district.

4. Should any landowner who owns real estate that abuts upon a district once formed desire to have such real estate incorporated in the district, the landowner shall first petition the board of directors thereof for its approval. If such approval be granted, the clerk of the board shall endorse a certificate of the fact of approval by the board upon the petition. The petition so endorsed shall be filed with the clerk of the circuit court in which the district is incorporated. It shall then be the duty of the court to amend the boundaries of such district by a decree incorporating the real estate in the same. A certified copy of this decree including the real estate in the district shall then be filed in the office of the recorder and in the office of the county clerk of the county in which the real estate is located, and in the office of the secretary of state. The costs of this proceeding shall be borne by the petitioning property owner.

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(RSMo 1939 § 12622, A.L. 1976 H.B. 1386, A.L. 1995 H.B. 88, A.L. 1999 H.B. 450 merged with S.B. 160 & 82, A.L. 2002 S.B. 984 & 985)