2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 7. Local Government › Chapter 33. Fire Protection › Part 21. Rural Fire Districts › 7-33-2120. Consolidation of fire districts and fire service areas -- mill levy limitations

7-33-2120. Consolidation of fire districts and fire service areas -- mill levy limitations.
(1) Two or more rural fire districts or rural fire districts and fire service areas established pursuant to 7-33-2401 may consolidate to form a single rural fire district or fire service area upon an affirmative vote of each consolidating rural fire district's or fire service area's governing board.
(2) (a) At the time they vote to consolidate, the governing boards shall also adopt a consolidation plan. The plan must contain:
(i) a timetable for consolidation, including the effective date of consolidation, which must be after the time allowed for protests to the creation of the new rural fire district or fire service area under subsection (4);
(ii) the name of the new rural fire district or fire service area;
(iii) a boundary map of the new rural fire district or fire service area; and
(iv) the estimated financial impact of consolidation on the average taxpayer within the proposed district or area.
(b) The consolidation plan must state if the consolidation is to be made with or without the mutual assumption of the warrant or bonded indebtedness of each district or fire service area. Without agreement among the governing boards on the assumption of warrant or bonded indebtedness, the consolidation may not occur.
(3) (a) Within 14 days of the date that the governing boards vote to consolidate, notice of the consolidation must be:
(i) published as provided in 7-1-2121 or as provided in 7-1-4127 if a district involved in the consolidation or part of the district is in an incorporated second-class or third-class city or town in each county in which any part of a consolidated fire district will be located; and
(ii) mailed as provided in 7-1-2122 or as provided in 7-1-4129 if a district involved in the consolidation or part of the district is in an incorporated second-class or third-class city or town to each registered voter and real property owner residing in a proposed new district.
(b) A public hearing on the consolidation must be held within 14 days of the first publication and mailing of notice. The hearing must be held before the joint governing boards at a time and place set forth in the notice.
(4) Real property owners in each affected rural fire district or fire service area may submit written protests opposing consolidation to the governing board of their district or fire service area. If within 30 days of the first publication of notice the owners of 40% or more of the real property in an existing district or fire service area and owners of property representing 40% or more of the taxable value of property in an existing district or fire service area protest the consolidation, it is void.
(5) After consolidation, the former rural fire districts and fire service areas constitute a single rural fire district or fire service area governed under the provisions of 7-33-2104 through 7-33-2106 or under the provisions of part 24 of this chapter.
(6) (a) Subject to the provisions of subsections (6)(b) and (6)(c), when the consolidation of two or more rural fire districts or rural fire districts and fire service areas pursuant to this section results in the creation of a rural fire district, it must be considered to be a new rural fire district for the purposes of determining mill levy limitations.
(b) The mill levy authority under 15-10-420 for each former rural fire district that is consolidated under this section must be aggregated to establish the base mill levy authority for the new district in the year following consolidation.
(c) If the electors of a former rural fire district have approved mill levy authority for the district in excess of the limit established in 15-10-420 pursuant to an election held under 15-10-425, the authority applies to the new district under the limitations established by the electors.
(7) For the purposes of this section, "governing board" means the board of trustees of a rural fire district or fire service area or a board of county commissioners that governs a fire service area as provided in 7-33-2403(1)(a).
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 338, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 499, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 356, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 227, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 74, L. 2019.