Opinion ID: 2455113
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Does a Wyoming board of county commissioners have the power and authority to remove real property from a water and sewer district?

Text: [¶ 50] This issue comes before us in the form of a certified question pursuant to W.R.A.P. 12.09(b). The context in which the issue presents itself is as follows: On January 30, 2009, Mountain Cement filed with the Board a Petition for Exclusion from the South of Laramie Water & Sewer District (the Petition). By stipulation of the parties, the Board certified three questions of law to the district court, the first of which was the question now considered by this Court. Based upon the district court's response, the Board dismissed the Petition for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Mountain Cement then filed in the district court a petition for review of the dismissal order. The parties stipulated that the matter should be certified to this Court, once again under W.RA.P. 12.09(b), and once again with the same three questions to be answered. [¶ 51] While this is not, directly, an appeal from the district court's response to the Board's certification, we will set forth the district court's reasoning because the Board's dismissal order was based directly upon the district court's decision letter and order answering the certified questions. First, the district court stated that the Board retained jurisdiction over the District pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 41-10-103(b) (LexisNexis 2009). Next, the district court noted that Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 41-10-120 (LexisNexis 2009) allowed for changes in district boundaries. That statute provides as follows: (a) The boundary of any district organized under the provisions of this act may be changed in the manner prescribed in the Special District Elections Act of 1994, but the change of boundaries of the district shall not impair nor affect its organization, nor shall it affect, impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge on which it might be liable or chargeable had such change of boundaries not been made. (b) Property included within or annexed to a district shall be subject to the payment of taxes and charges, as provided in the Special District Elections Act of 1994. Real property excluded from a district shall thereafter be subject to the levy of taxes for the payment of its proportionate share of any indebtedness of the district outstanding at the time of such exclusion. Personal property may be excluded from a district on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the board of the district involved. (Emphasis added.) [¶ 52] Following this statute's guidance, the district court next looked to the Special District Elections Act of 1994, which is specifically therein made applicable to water and sewer districts. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 22-29-103(a)(x) (LexisNexis 2009). The district court then cited Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 22-29-307 (LexisNexis 2009), which specifically addresses changes to the boundaries of districts, and which reads in full as follows: Any owner of property that is subject to assessment and payment of tax by a special district, but who is precluded by applicable state or federal law, rule or regulation from using the services provided by the district, may file with the board of county commissioners a petition praying that such lands be excluded from assessment by said district. Petitions shall describe the property which the petitioners desire to have excluded. Such petition must be accompanied by a deposit of money sufficient to pay all costs of the exclusion proceedings. The county commissioners shall cause a notice of filing of such petition to be published, which notice shall state the filing of such petition, the name of petitioners, description of the property mentioned in said petition, and the prayer of said petitioners; and it shall notify all persons interested to appear at the office of said board at the time named in said notice, showing cause in writing, if any they have, why said petition should not be granted. The board at the time and place mentioned in the notice, or at the times to which the hearing of said petition may be adjourned, shall proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto, presented in writing by any person showing cause why the prayer of the petition should not be granted. The filing [of] such petition shall be deemed and taken as an assent by each and all such petitioners to the exclusion from the district of the property mentioned in the petition or any part thereof. The exclusion shall be allowed if an owner of assessed property is precluded by applicable state or federal law, rule, or regulation from using the services provided by the district. This section shall be applicable only to petitions filed in accordance with the provisions of this section on or before March 31, 1999. [¶ 53] Based upon these statutes, which it found to be unambiguous, the district court answered the first certified question in the affirmative. Focusing solely upon §§ 41-10-103(b) and 41-10-120, we agree. These statutes clearly authorize boards of county commissioners to remove real property from a water and sewer district, so we answer the first certified question in the affirmative.