(A) In formulating the proposed merger conditions, the commission shall attempt to work in a collaborative process that results in a consensus of its members as to the best proposal for all of the political subdivisions involved. To this end, the commission shall adopt rules for the orderly operation of commission meetings that permit all commission members to be coleaders, as appropriate, so that overall no one member has more authority than any of the other members in determining the proposed conditions. These rules may create a framework for building agreement among the members to adopt proposed conditions. The commission also shall seek the advice of both public and private sources to help the commission fully study the merger situation so that appropriate conditions are drafted. If funding permits, the commission may contract with a dispute resolution expert to help make the process more collaborative.

(B) When a merger proposal includes the unincorporated area of a township, the commission shall consider, among the other issues it considers before adopting its proposed merger conditions, both the increase and decrease of funding sources due to the unincorporated township territory becoming incorporated territory.

(C) The proposed merger conditions may provide for the election, prior to the merger, of new officers to govern the municipal corporation with which merger is proposed after the merger is complete, provided that the provision does not conflict with the charter of the municipal corporation with which merger is proposed. If more than one municipal corporation is to be included in the merger, the proposed conditions shall designate one of the municipal corporations as the municipal corporation into which the township and any other municipal corporations involved are being merged. The proposed conditions also may provide that the municipal corporation into which the other political subdivisions are to be merged shall amend its existing charter to include specified provisions and may state that the merger, if approved, shall not become effective until the date on which that municipal charter includes the required provisions. In the case of a merger of a township with a single municipal corporation, the merger conditions also may provide for the annexation of a school district located wholly within the township to the school district of the municipal corporation.

Effective Date: 04-07-2005 .