Sec. 1061.052. ALTERNATIVE DIRECTOR ELECTION. (a) The board on its own motion may order that not fewer than 50 percent of the directors be elected from single-member districts with the remaining directors elected from the district at large.

(b) Before entering an order under Subsection (a), the board must:

(1) hold a public hearing at which registered district voters may comment on whether they favor electing directors in the manner proposed by the board; and

(2) publish notice of the hearing in a newspaper with general circulation in the district not later than the seventh day before the date of the hearing.

(c) An order adopted under Subsection (a) must be entered not later than the 120th day before the date of the first election at which directors are elected in the manner provided by the order. Not later than the 90th day before the date of the first election at which directors are elected in the manner provided by the order, the board shall:

(1) divide the district into the appropriate number of single-member districts, based on the number of directors to be elected from the single-member districts and number each single-member district; and

(2) determine by lot the order in which the positions will be filled.

(d) The single-member districts must be:

(1) compact and contiguous; and

(2) as nearly as practicable of equal population according to the most recent federal census.

(e) If the data from the most recent federal census indicates that the population of the most populous single-member district exceeds the population of the least populous single-member district by more than 10 percent, the board shall redivide the hospital district into the appropriate number of single-member districts not later than the 90th day before the date of the first regular election at which directors may officially recognize and act on the census. Redivision of the district must be in the manner provided for division of the district under this section.

(f) If the district adopts a redistricting plan under this section, the board may provide in the plan for the directors in office to serve at large for the remainder of their terms. The single-member district and at-large positions provided by the district's plan shall be filled as the staggered terms of incumbent directors expire.

Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1139 (H.B. 2619), Sec. 1.01, eff. April 1, 2011.