Article 3. Boards Of Trustees And Officers of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 3.
A legislative body of at least five members known as the
board of trustees shall govern every district. The board of trustees
shall establish policies for the operation of the district. The board
of trustees shall provide for the faithful implementation of those
policies which is the responsibility of the employees of the
district.
Within 30 days after the effective date of the formation of a
district, a board of trustees shall be appointed as follows:
(a) In the case of a district that contains only unincorporated
territory in a single county, the board of supervisors shall appoint
five persons to the board of trustees.
(b) In the case of a district that is located entirely within a
single county and contains both incorporated territory and
unincorporated territory, the board of supervisors may appoint one
person to the board of trustees, and the city council of each city
that is located in whole or in part within the district may appoint
one person to the board of trustees. If those appointments result in
a board of trustees with less than five trustees, the board of
supervisors shall appoint enough additional persons to make a board
of trustees of five members.
(c) In the case of a district that contains only unincorporated
territory in more than one county, the board of supervisors of each
county may appoint one person to the board of trustees. If those
appointments result in a board of trustees with less than five
persons, the board of supervisors of the principal county shall
appoint enough additional persons to make a board of trustees of five
members.
(d) In the case of a district that is located in two or more
counties and contains both incorporated territory and unincorporated
territory, the board of supervisors of each county may appoint one
person to the board of trustees, and the city council of each city
that is located in whole or part within the district may appoint one
person to the board of trustees. If those appointments result in less
than five persons, the board of supervisors of the principal county
shall appoint enough additional persons to make a board of trustees
of five members.
(a) Each person appointed by a board of supervisors to be a
member of a board of trustees shall be a voter in that county and a
resident of that portion of the county that is within the district.
(b) Each person appointed by a city council to be a member of a
board of trustees shall be a voter in that city and a resident of
that portion of the city that is within the district.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law including the
common law doctrine that precludes the simultaneous holding of
incompatible offices, a member of a city council may be appointed and
may serve as a member of a board of trustees if that person also
meets the other applicable qualifications of this chapter.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that persons appointed to
boards of trustees have experience, training, and education in fields
that will assist in the governance of the districts.
(e) All trustees shall exercise their independent judgment on
behalf of the interests of the residents, property owners, and the
public as a whole in furthering the purposes and intent of this
chapter. The trustees shall represent the interests of the public as
a whole and not solely the interests of the board of supervisors or
the city council that appointed them.
(a) The initial board of trustees of a district formed on or
after January 1, 2003, shall be determined pursuant to this section.
(b) The persons appointed to the initial board of trustees shall
meet on the first Monday after 45 days after the effective date of
the formation of the district.
(c) At the first meeting of the initial board of trustees, the
trustees shall classify themselves by lot into two classes, as nearly
equal as possible. The term of office of the class having the
greater number shall expire at noon on the first Monday in January
that is closest to the second year from the appointments made
pursuant to Section 2021. The term of office of the class having the
lesser number shall expire at noon on the first Monday in January
that is closest to the first year from the appointments made pursuant
to Section 2021.
(a) Except as provided in Section 2023, the term of office
for a member of the board of trustees shall be for a term of two or
four years, at the discretion of the appointing authority. Terms of
office commence at noon on the first Monday in January.
(b) Any vacancy in the office of a member appointed to a board of
trustees shall be filled pursuant to Section 1779 of the Government
Code. Any person appointed to fill a vacant office shall fill the
balance of the unexpired term.
(a) Under no circumstances shall a board of trustees consist
of less than five members. Except as provided in Section 2026, the
number of members who represent the unincorporated territory of a
county may not exceed five members.
(b) A board of trustees may adopt a resolution requesting the
board of supervisors of any county that contains territory within the
district to increase or decrease the number of members of the board
of trustees who represent the unincorporated territory of that county
within the district. The resolution shall specify the number of
members and the areas of the unincorporated territory for which the
board of trustees requests the increase or decrease.
(c) Within 60 days of receiving a resolution adopted pursuant to
subdivision (b), the board of supervisors shall order the increase or
decrease in the number of members of the board of trustees,
consistent with the board of trustees' resolution.
(d) If the board of supervisors orders an increase in the number
of members of the board of trustees, the board of supervisors shall
appoint a person or persons to the board of trustees and specify
their term of office, consistent with the requirements of this
chapter. If the board of supervisors orders a decrease in the number
of members of the board of trustees, the board of supervisors shall
designate the trustee or trustees whose office shall be eliminated at
the termination of the trustee's current term of office. Any trustee
whose office is designated to be eliminated shall continue to serve
until his or her term of office expires.
(a) A local agency formation commission, in approving either
a consolidation of districts or the reorganization of two more
districts into a single district, may, pursuant to subdivisions (k)
and (n) of Section 56886 of the Government Code, change the number of
members on the board of trustees of the consolidated or reorganized
district, provided that the resulting number of trustees shall be an
odd number but not less than five.
(b) Upon the expiration of the terms of the members of the board
of trustees of the consolidated or reorganized district whose terms
first expire following the effective date of the consolidation or
reorganization, the total number of members on the board of trustees
shall be reduced until the number equals the number of members
determined by the local agency formation commission.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 2024, in the event
of a vacancy on the board of trustees of the consolidated or
reorganized district at a time when the number of members of the
board of trustees is greater than the number determined by the local
agency formation commission, the vacancy shall not be filled and the
membership of the board of trustees shall be reduced by one member.
(a) At the first meeting of the initial board of trustees of
a newly formed district, and in the case of an existing district at
the first meeting in January every year or every other year, the
board of trustees shall elect its officers.
(b) The officers of a board of trustees are a president and a
secretary. The president shall be a trustee. The secretary may be
either a trustee or a district employee. A board of trustees may
create additional officers and elect members to those positions. No
trustee shall hold more than one office.
(c) Except as provided in Section 2077, the county treasurer of
the principal county shall act as the district treasurer. The county
treasurer shall receive no compensation for the receipt and
disbursement of money of the district.
A board of trustees shall meet at least once every three
months. Meetings of the board of trustees are subject to the
provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act, Chapter 9 (commencing with
Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government
Code.
(a) A majority of the board of trustees shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
(b) Except as otherwise specifically provided to the contrary in
this chapter, a recorded vote of a majority of those trustees present
and voting is required on each action.
(c) The board of trustees shall act only by ordinance, resolution,
or motion.
(d) The board of trustees shall keep a record of all of its acts,
including financial transactions.
(e) The board of trustees shall adopt rules for its proceedings.
(a) The members of the board of trustees shall serve without
compensation.
(b) The members of the board of trustees may receive their actual
and necessary traveling and incidental expenses incurred while on
official business. In lieu of paying for actual expenses, the board
of trustees may by resolution provide for the allowance and payment
to each trustee a sum not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per
month for expenses incurred while on official business. A trustee may
waive the payments permitted by this subdivision.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the secretary of the board of
trustees may receive compensation in an amount determined by the
board of trustees.
(d) Reimbursement for these expenses is subject to Sections
53232.2 and 53232.3 of the Government Code.