CHAPTER 510
H.P. 1016 - L.D. 1408
An Act to Redistrict Knox County and Provide for 5 County Commissioners
Mandate preamble. This measure requires one or more local units of government to expand or modify activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenues but does not provide funding for at least 90% of those expenditures. Pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, two thirds of all of the members elected to each House have determined it necessary to enact this measure.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §61-B is enacted to read:
Notwithstanding section 61, there is a board of commissioners for Knox County consisting of a chair and 4 other citizens. All other provisions of section 61 apply to Knox County.
Sec. 2. Apportionment. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 61, when the county commissioner districts are reapportioned in 2003, as provided under Title 30-A, section 65, the apportionment commission shall apportion Knox County into 5 commissioner districts and shall include in its apportionment plan the initial terms of office for each commissioner district. The apportionment commission shall designate 2 commissioner districts that have 2-year terms and 3 commissioner districts that have 4-year terms. All subsequent terms are for 4 years.
Sec. 3. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at countywide election; form of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of Knox County at a countywide election held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November following passage of this Act. The municipal officers of Knox County shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a municipal election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:
"Do you favor increasing the number of county commissioner districts in Knox County from 3 to 5?"
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation in Knox County shall vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the returns and, if it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the Act, the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay, and the Act takes effect 30 days after the date of the proclamation.
The Knox County commissioners are authorized to expend the funds necessary to implement the referendum. The county commissioners shall cause the preparation of the required ballots.
Sec. 4. Contingent effective date. That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 61-B takes effect on January 1,
2005 only if the referendum submitted pursuant to section 3 of this Act is approved pursuant to section 3.
Effective September 19, 1997, unless otherwise indicated, unless otherwise indicated.
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