130A-80.3. Merger of district with contiguous metropolitan water district.

(a) A sanitary district may merge with a contiguous, but not coterminous, metropolitan water district organized under Article 4 of Chapter 162A of the General Statutes in the following manner, but only if the metropolitan water district has no outstanding indebtedness:

(1) The sanitary district board and the district board of the metropolitan water district shall resolve that it is advisable for the sanitary district and the metropolitan water district should merge;

(2) If the sanitary district board and the district board of the metropolitan water district resolve that it is advisable to merge, they shall call a public hearing on the merger. Each of such boards shall hold a public hearing on the question of merger, and advertisement of the public hearing shall be published at least 10 days before the public hearing;

(3) After the public hearing, if the sanitary district board and the district board of the metropolitan water district by resolution approve the merger, the merger shall be effective on July 1 following the adoption of the resolution;

(4) Upon the merger of a sanitary district and a metropolitan water district pursuant to this section, the sanitary district shall assume all obligations of the metropolitan water district, and the metropolitan water district shall convey all property rights to the sanitary district. The metropolitan water district shall cease to exist as a political subdivision from and after the effective date of the merger. After the merger, the residents of the metropolitan water district enjoy all of the benefits of the sanitary district and shall assume their share of the obligations of the sanitary district. All taxes levied and collected by the sanitary district from and after the effective date of the merger shall be levied and collected uniformly in all the territory included in the enlarged sanitary district; and

(5) Certified copies of the merger resolutions shall be filed with the Commission for Public Health.

(b) At the same time as approving the resolution of merger, the district board of the metropolitan water district shall designate by resolution two of its members to serve on an expanded sanitary district board from and after the date of the merger.

(c) If the sanitary district board serves staggered four-year terms, the resolution shall designate one of those two persons to serve until the organizational meeting after the next election of a sanitary district board, and the other to serve until the organizational meeting after the second succeeding election of a sanitary district board. Successors shall be elected by the qualified voters of the sanitary district for four-year terms.

(d) If the sanitary district board serves nonstaggered four-year terms, or serves two-year terms, the two persons shall serve until the organizational meeting after the next election of a sanitary district board. Successors shall be elected by the qualified voters of the sanitary district for terms of the same length as other sanitary district board members.

(e) When a sanitary district and metropolitan water district are merged under this section, the sanitary district board may change the name of the sanitary district. Notice of such name change shall be filed with the Commission for Public Health.