ORS Chapter 198 — Special Districts Generally

ORS 198.815. Election on formation; notice; ballot title when dissolution ordered; election of first board. (1) If the required number of written requests for an election are filed with the county board on or before the date of the final hearing or if the petition for formation includes a permanent rate limit for operating taxes for the proposed district, the board shall provide by order for the holding of an election to submit to the electors the question of forming the district. The board shall cause notice of the election to be published by two insertions. If requests for an election are filed by less than the required number of persons and no permanent rate limit for operating taxes is included in the petition, the county board shall dismiss the requests and enter an order creating the district. (2) The order calling an election shall fix the date of the election on the next available election date in ORS 255.345 for which the filing deadline can be met. However, when the proposal for formation includes a permanent rate limit for operating taxes for the proposed district, the election shall be held on the date of the next May or November election for which the filing deadline can be met. The order shall also state that at such election members of the district board will be voted for. Candidates to be voted for as members of the first board of a district shall be nominated as provided by ORS chapter 255 and the principal Act of a district. (3) The order calling the election shall require the county official in charge of elections to include with the ballot for the election a map or other description of the boundaries of the proposed district using streets and other generally recognized features and a statement of the permanent rate, if any, proposed for the district in the petition for formation under ORS 198.750 (1)(g). Such statement shall comply with the requirements of ORS 250.035. The map or other description and statement required by this subsection shall be supplied by the county board. (4)(a) When the proposal for formation includes a permanent rate limit for operating taxes for the proposed district, the ballot title shall clearly indicate that a single question is being proposed which is: (A) Whether the proposed district shall be formed; and (B) Whether the permanent rate limit specified in the ballot title shall be adopted as the maximum rate of operating taxes for that district. (b) The ballot title for the election shall be in compliance with ORS 250.036. (5) When the proposal for formation includes a permanent rate limit for the proposed district, the district shall be authorized to impose operating taxes not in excess of the permanent rate limit if the proposal is approved by a majority of the votes cast and the election is held in May or November of any year. (6) If a proposed county service district is subject to dissolution unless a determination of public need for continued existence is made, the ballot title shall include the fiscal year in which dissolution will occur and statement that the district will dissolve unless the board of directors determines that there is a public need for continued existence.