11-5-104. District board of directors; appointment; terms; vacancies; compensation and expenses.

(a) The county commissioners of each district shall hold a public meeting for appointing a district board of directors for the district. Prior to the meeting the county commissioners shall establish the number of members of the district board and shall establish district board member areas. The county commissioners may seek the advice and counsel of the members of the former district board for the establishment of district board member areas. Each district board member area shall be contiguous. Notice of the meeting shall be advertised at least once in the designated official newspaper of the county and posted on the county's official website in the manner provided in W.S. 18-3-516(f) at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the meeting. The notice shall solicit nominations for directors by petition signed by at least ten (10) landowners to be submitted at least five (5) days before the date of the meeting.

(b) From the nominations submitted the county commissioners shall appoint the district board which shall consist of five (5) or seven (7) directors. Directors shall serve for a term of four (4) years or until their successors are appointed and qualified.

(c) Any qualified elector in the district board member area he is appointed to represent is eligible to hold the office of director.

(d) All district board members shall be appointed by the county commissioners at their first regular meeting in January of each year from among nominations submitted by petition in the manner set forth in subsection (a) of this section. In districts encompassing cities or towns with a population of five thousand (5,000) or more, one (1) district board member shall be appointed from within the limits of a city or town. A district board member shall assume office at the first regular meeting of the district board following appointment.

(e) The county commissioners shall remove a director for repeated unexcused failure to attend meetings or for refusal or incapacity to act as a district board member.

(f) When a vacancy occurs on a district board the county commissioners shall, at the next regular meeting, appoint an individual who possesses the necessary qualifications as a district board member to fill the unexpired term.

(g) At the first regular meeting in February the district board shall elect from its members a chairman and a vice-chairman, and appoint a secretary and a treasurer. The positions of secretary and treasurer need not be members of the district board. The treasurer shall furnish a surety bond to the district before entering upon the duties of office in an amount to be set by the district board but not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).

(h) The members of the district board shall serve without pay, but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses and a mileage allowance at the rate as established for state employees.