Public Utilities Code, 1951

After a district formation election is called, the legislative body must notify the local agency formation commission’s executive officer by registered mail within five days, and the executive officer and commission must act on an impartial analysis within set deadlines.

Certain eligible voters, associations, and board members may file written arguments for or against proposed district formation.

If multiple arguments for or against formation of the proposed district are filed on time, election officials must choose one argument to print and distribute to voters.

Election officials must print and mail a ballot pamphlet to each eligible voter for the district formation election.

The notice must state the proposed district’s name and describe the district and ward boundaries for electing directors.

The election ballot must include the instructions required by law and a question asking whether the municipal utility district should be created and established, with YES and NO choices.

Ballots must list the nominated persons for each ward and show each ward and its nominees separately.

Any person may be nominated for director if a written petition is signed by at least 50 voters of the ward where the person lives.

Candidates for director are voted on at large, and every voter in the proposed district may vote for all directors to be elected.

Only a voter of the territory included in the proposed district is entitled to vote at the election.

An election may be held on the same day as another state, county, or city election and consolidated with it.

The board of supervisors that called the election must meet the next Monday after the election and canvass the votes.

The board of supervisors must separately canvass election returns and must declare a district created and established for the areas that voted in favor, if the voter threshold in subdivision (c) is met.

A person may serve as a director only if the person is a resident and voter of the district. If territory is eliminated and creates board vacancies, the remaining directors must fill those vacancies by appointment, and ward lines may be ignored for that purpose.

The board of supervisors must canvass the election returns and declare the highest-vote recipients for each ward elected as district directors if they are residents and voters as finally determined.

The board of supervisors calling the election must make all arrangements for the election across the entire proposed district and pay its cost.

If a special election is held only on organizing a district, the election cost must be reimbursed to the county that called it, and the tax for that reimbursement must be added to the next county tax bills.

The board of supervisors must file a certified copy of the election result order with the Secretary of State.

Challenges to incorporation must be filed within three months after the election result order is filed with the Secretary of State.

Each district is governed by a board of five directors, one from each ward, and the directors must be residents and voters of the wards they come from.

The first directors are elected at the formation election, and later director elections must be held at the same time as the general election.

The notice of the election must be published, and no other notice is required.

The board must set ward boundaries for electing directors, and the board of directors must adjust ward boundaries by resolution.

The notice of election must refer to the wards established by the board.

Before an election, the county elections official must provide nomination papers and other required nomination forms for director candidates when requested, if the request is made no more than 113 days before the election.

Nomination papers may be circulated throughout the district.

This section sets the rules for nomination papers, signature gathering, filing, and ballot certification for district director candidates.

The board must consolidate the district election with the general election, and supervisors must canvass, certify, and sometimes reprecinct the election area.

Director candidates are voted on at large, and district voters may vote for all directors being elected.

After the canvass returns are received from the boards of supervisors, the board must meet, determine the election results, and declare the elected candidate or candidates.

The district secretary must issue certificates of election, signed and authenticated, right after the board determines the election result.

In covered districts, the board expands from five directors to seven, and director candidates are elected by ward voters rather than at large.

If this district’s board must expand from five to seven directors, the board in office on January 1, 1974 must, within 90 days, create seven wards and set their boundaries.

The two additional directors must be nominated and elected using the district’s director-election process, and the election must be held at the same time as the 1974 statewide general election.

If too few candidates file for a ward, the county elections official must notify the district board, and the board may appoint someone or hold the election.

Additional directors must take office right away when their election certificates are issued; later-elected directors take office on January 1 after election.

Additional directors elected under this article serve four-year terms, continuing until successors are elected and qualified.

This section says the article does not change the term of office of district directors who were already in office on the section’s effective date.

In the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the district board’s number of directors must be increased from five to seven.

The board of directors in office on January 1, 1994, must divide the district into seven wards and fix their boundaries within 90 days, using a resolution or ordinance.

The two additional directors must be nominated and elected using the district director election process, and the election must be held at the same time as the 1994 statewide general election.

Additional directors take office immediately when election certificates are issued; later elected directors take office on January 1 after their election.

The additional directors elected under this article serve a four-year term, and continue until their successors are elected and qualified.

This section says the article does not change the term of office of district directors who were already in office on the section’s effective date.

Directors elected at the formation election may hold office only until the first day of January after the next general election, and until successors are elected and qualified.

This section sets how long district directors serve after the first election and in later elections.

Directors elected at the formation election take office immediately after the election result order is filed with the Secretary of State, once they have qualified according to law. Directors elected later start their terms on January 1 after the election.

This section sets the process and deadlines for filling a board vacancy, including appointment, special election, and fallback action by the district or county supervisors.

Directors must take, subscribe, and file their oath of office with the district secretary after notice of election or appointment, and no later than 15 days after their term begins.

The board must choose a president and vice president from among its members and set the time and place of its meetings.

The board is the district’s legislative body and decides all policy questions.

The board must provide for necessary administrative matters of the district that this division does not already cover.

The board must supervise and regulate district utilities, including setting rates, rentals, charges, classifications, rules, contracts, practices, and schedules.

The board must create needed positions and set compensation for them, may abolish positions, and the general manager makes appointments unless another rule applies.

A qualifying district board may delegate to the general manager the authority to take some or all actions listed in Section 11886.

A district board with 600 or more employees may appoint up to 15 employees to specially qualified positions.

A district board may exempt certain highly qualified positions from civil service if the district meets the stated size and system-history conditions and stays within a 5% cap.

A qualifying district board may appoint or remove only certain exempt officers and employees, and it may contract for some officer services; related contracts cannot run longer than five years.