Chapter 1.5. Formation of California Water Code >> Division 13. >> Part 8.2. >> Chapter 1.5.
The formation process shall comply with the
Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000
(Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5 of the
Government Code), with the exception of the following provisions:
(a) On or before January 1, 2019, 10 percent of landowners may
petition for, or an affected local agency within the county,
including the county and the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and
Water Conservation District, may apply for by resolution, the
formation of a district, consistent with the following definitions:
(1) "Landowner" means any person who holds title to land within
the boundaries of the proposed district as shown on the last
assessment roll prepared by the county assessor, or a legal
representative of a landowner who holds title to land within the
boundaries of the proposed district as shown on the last assessment
roll prepared by the county assessor.
(2) "Landowner" does not include individuals, partnerships,
corporations, or public agencies holding easements or less than fee
interests, including leaseholds of any nature.
(3) "Legal representative" means either of the following:
(A) A duly appointed and acting guardian, executor, or
administrator of the estate of a holder of title to land.
(B) One of the following:
(i) If the holder of title is a trust, any trustee of the trust
may vote on behalf of the trust.
(ii) If the holder of title is a corporation, the president, vice
president, secretary, or other duly designated officer may vote on
behalf of the corporation.
(iii) If the holder of title is a limited liability company, any
managing member may vote on behalf of the limited liability company.
(iv) An officer or partner with managerial responsibilities of a
legal entity not listed in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, may vote
on behalf of the entity.
(b) Following a successful petition by the landowners or a
resolution of application by an affected local agency, an election
among landowners shall be conducted on the matter of whether to form
the district.
(c) For purposes of a petition to form the district and a vote on
the matter to form the district, the following applies:
(1) Each voter, who shall be a landowner as defined in this
section, may cast one vote on the matter of a petition and one vote
on the matter of an election to form the district. Ownership of
multiple parcels of land, in full or in part, shall not entitle any
voter to more than one vote.
(2) For land held jointly, owners collectively get one vote.
Nothing in this section should be construed to indicate that multiple
owners of a property get more than one vote.
(3) In the event any landowner that is a member of the same
commonly controlled group, as defined in Section 25105 of the Revenue
and Taxation Code, or is a member of a combined reporting group, as
defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25106.5 of
Title 18 of the California Code of Regulations, or under common
ownership with, another landowner in the district, all members of the
commonly controlled group or combined reporting group will be deemed
a single landowner for the purpose of this subdivision.
(4) Each public agency that holds title to land within the
district shall be entitled to one vote.
(5) No person shall vote by proxy unless his or her authority to
cast that vote is evidenced by an instrument acknowledged and filed
with the board of election.
(6) If from the election returns a majority of the votes cast at
the election were in favor of the formation of the district, the
formation of the district shall be complete.
(d) Recognizing that an election is needed to form the Paso Robles
Basin Water District, the protest provisions of the
Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Reorganization Act of 2000 as they pertain to
the formation of a district, do not apply.