(a) General rule.--In order for consolidation or merger proceedings to be initiated by petition of electors, petitions containing signatures of at least 5% of the number of electors voting for the office of Governor in the last gubernatorial general election in each municipality proposed to be consolidated or merged shall be filed with the county board of elections of the county in which the municipality, or the greater portion of its territory, is located.

(b) Notice to governing bodies affected.--When election officials find that a petition is in proper order, they shall send copies of the initiative petition without the signatures thereon to the governing bodies of each of the municipalities and school districts affected by the proposed consolidation or merger.

(c) Contents.--A petition shall set forth:

(1) The name of the municipality from which the signers of the petition were obtained.

(2) The names of the municipalities proposed to be consolidated or merged.

(3) The name of the consolidated or merged municipality.

(4) The type and class of the consolidated or merged municipality.

(5) Whether a consolidated or merged municipality shall be governed solely by the code and other general laws applicable to the kind and class of the consolidated or merged municipality; whether it shall be governed by a home rule charter or optional plan of government previously adopted pursuant to Subpart E of Part III (relating to home rule and optional plan government), by one of the municipalities to be consolidated or merged; or whether it shall be governed by an optional plan of government that has not been previously adopted in accordance with Subpart E of Part III by any of the municipalities to be consolidated or merged, but which has been selected from among the options provided for in Subpart E of Part III and is identified in the petition; provided, however, that nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as authorizing a municipality adopting an optional plan of government pursuant to this subchapter to exercise powers not granted to a municipality adopting an optional plan of government pursuant to Subpart E of Part III.

(6) In the case of a merger, where the surviving municipality is a city which had previously adopted an optional charter pursuant to the act of July 15, 1957 (P.L.901, No.399), known as the Optional Third Class City Charter Law, whether the resulting merged municipality will continue to operate under the optional charter.

(7) The number of districts or wards, if any, into which the consolidated or merged municipality will be divided for the purpose of electing all or some members of its governing body.

(d) Filing of petition.--The consolidation or merger petition shall be filed with the election officials not later than the 13th Tuesday prior to the next primary, municipal or general election. The petition and proceedings on the petition shall be conducted in the manner and subject to the provisions of the election laws which relate to the signing, filing and adjudication of nomination petitions insofar as the provisions are applicable, except that no referendum petition shall be signed or circulated prior to the 20th Tuesday before the election, nor later than the 13th Tuesday before the election.

(Oct. 23, 2003, P.L.180, No.29, eff. 60 days; Oct. 27, 2010, P.L.980, No.102, eff. 60 days)

Cross References. Section 735 is referred to in sections 736, 737 of this title.