Section 32100.1 Of Article 1. Election And Organization From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 23. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
32100.1
. A petition for election of directors by zones may be
signed and filed with the board of directors by registered voters
residing within a local hospital district, equal in number to at
least 15 percent of the number of votes cast in that district for the
office of Governor at the last preceding election at which a
Governor was elected. Upon receipt of this petition the board of
directors shall, by resolution, divide the local hospital district
into zones and number the zones consecutively.
Alternatively, and without a petition, the board of directors may
adopt a resolution to divide the district into zones and number the
zones consecutively.
In establishing these zones, the board of directors shall provide
for representation in accordance with demographic, including
population, and geographic factors of the entire area of the local
hospital district. The board of directors shall fix the time and
place for a hearing on the proposed establishment of zones. At this
hearing, any elector of the district may present his or her views and
plans in relation to the proposed zoning, but the board of directors
shall not be bound thereby and their decision, in the resolution
adopted, shall be final.
The zones shall be effective for the next district election after
the resolution of the board for which there is time to implement the
zones and elections within the zones, unless a petition requesting an
election on the resolution, containing the signatures of not less
than 5 percent of the qualified registered voters of the district, is
filed with the county elections official within 60 days after
passage of the resolution. The form of the petition and the
requirements and procedures applicable thereto shall be governed by
Article 2 (commencing with Section 9140) of Chapter 2 of Division 9
of the Elections Code, except that all computations referred to in
those sections shall be construed to refer to comparable computations
of the district, and references to "ordinance" shall be construed to
refer to "resolution." For purposes of this section, the electors of
the district shall be the electors of the territory entitled to vote
at elections for members of the board. If a valid and timely
petition is filed with the county elections official, then the board
shall prepare a measure to be printed on the ballots used at the next
general hospital district election, or at a special election to be
held for that purpose. The measure shall be printed on the ballots
substantially as follows:
"Shall members of the board of directors be elected by zones, as
described in the resolution of the board of directors dated ____?",
with the words "Yes" and "No" so printed in connection therewith that
the voters may express their choice.
The county elections official shall accept arguments for and
against the measure, to be mailed to each registered voter in the
district, in accordance with Article 3 (commencing with Section 9160)
of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of the Elections Code.
The returns of the election shall be canvassed and declared as at
other general hospital district elections, and if it appears that a
majority of the votes cast in the election are in favor of the
measure, the board of directors shall by resolution declare the zones
established and shall describe the boundaries of the zones. At the
expiration of the terms of office of the members of the board of
directors then in office, and thereafter, these members of the board
of directors shall be elected by zones. One member of the board of
directors shall be elected by the electors of each of the zones. No
person shall be eligible to hold the office of member of the board of
directors unless he or she has been a resident of the zone from
which he or she is elected for 30 days next preceding the date of the
election.
The formation of a local hospital district may provide for the
election of members of the board of directors by zones by
substantially including in the petition for formation the provisions
required by this section to be included in the measure, and the
members of the board of directors shall be elected from the zones as
described in the petition, except that the first board of directors
shall be appointed, upon the formation of the district, by the board
of supervisors of the county in which the land or a greater part of
the land in the district is situated. One member of the board shall
be appointed from each zone.
The terms of the members of the first board of directors appointed
under this section shall be determined by lot. Three members shall
hold office for four years, and two members shall hold office for two
years. Thereafter, the term of office for all members shall be four
years.
Any vacancy upon the board shall be filled by appointment by the
remaining members of the board, from the zone left unrepresented on
the board of directors. Any person appointed to fill the vacancy
shall hold office for the unexpired term.