Missouri Revised Statutes § 67.1890 - Change in district boundaries, procedure

67.1890. Change in district boundaries, procedure. — 1. The boundaries of any district organized pursuant to sections 67.1860 to 67.1898 may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section; but any change of boundaries of the district shall not impair or affect its organization or its rights in or to property, or any of its rights or privileges whatsoever; nor shall it affect or impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge for or upon which it might be liable or chargeable had any change of boundaries not been made. 2. The boundaries may be changed as follows: (1) Twenty-five percent of the number of voters who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election in the area to be annexed or deannexed may file with the board a petition in writing praying that such real property be included within, or removed from, the district. The petition shall describe the property to be included in, or removed from, the district and shall describe the property owned by the petitioners and shall be deemed to give assent of the petitioners to the inclusion in, or removal from, the district of the property described in the petition. Such petition shall be in substantially the form set forth for petitions in chapter 116; provided that, in the event that there are more than twenty-five property owners or taxpaying electors signing the petition, it shall be deemed sufficient description of their property in the petition as required in this section to list the addresses of such property; or (2) All of the owners of any territory or tract of land near or adjacent to a district in the case of annexation, or all of the owners of any territory or tract of land within a district in the case of deannexation, who own all of the real estate in such territory or tract of land may file a petition with the board praying that such real property be included in, or removed from, the district. The petition shall describe the property owned by the petitioners and shall be deemed to give assent of the petitioners to the inclusion in, or removal from, the district of the property described in the petition. 3. The secretary of the board shall cause notice of the filing of any petition filed pursuant to this section to be given and published in the county in which the property is located, which notice shall recite the filing of such petition, the number of petitioners, a general description of the boundaries of the area proposed to be included or removed and the prayer of the petitioners; giving notice to all persons interested to appear at the office of the board at the time named in the notice and show cause in writing, if any they have, why the petition should not be granted. The board shall at the time and place mentioned, or at such time or times to which the hearing may be adjourned, proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto presented in writing by any person showing cause why the petition should not be granted. The failure of any person interested to show cause in writing why such petition shall not be granted shall be deemed as an assent on his or her part to the inclusion of such lands in, or removal of such lands from, the district as prayed for in the petition. 4. If the board deems it for the best interest of the district, it shall grant the petition, but if the board determines in the case of annexation that some portion of the property mentioned in the petition cannot as a practical matter be served by the district, or if it deems in the case of annexation that it is in the best interest of the district that some portion of the property in the petition not be included in the district, or if in the case of deannexation it deems that it is impracticable for any portion of the property to be deannexed from the district, then the board shall grant the petition in part only. If the petition is granted, the board shall make an order to that effect and file the petition with the circuit clerk. Upon the order of the court having jurisdiction over the district, the property shall be included in, or removed from, the district. If the petition contains the signatures of all the owners of the property pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection 2 of this section, the property shall be included in, or removed from, the district upon the order of the court. If the petition contains the signatures of twenty-five percent of the number of voters who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election in the area to be annexed or deannexed pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection 2 of this section, the property shall be included in, or removed from, the district subject to the election provided in section 67.1892. The circuit court having jurisdiction over the district shall proceed to make any such order including such additional property within the district, or removing such property from the district, as is provided in the order of the board, unless the court shall find that such order of the board was not authorized by law or that such order of the board was not supported by competent and substantial evidence. 5. Any person aggrieved by any decision of the board made pursuant to the provisions of this section may appeal that decision to the circuit court of the county in which the property is located within thirty days of the decision by the board. (L. 2001 H.B. 80 merged with S.B. 224) Effective 5-16-01 (S.B. 224); 7-02-01 (H.B. 80)