Chapter 1. Petition For Formation of California Water Code >> Division 18. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1.

A petition, which may consist of any number of separate instruments, shall be filed with the county elections official of the principal county in which the proposed water replenishment district is located, signed by registered voters residing within the boundaries of the proposed district equal in number to at least 10 percent of the number of the voters residing within the proposed district; provided, that where the proposed district is situated partly in different counties, the petition must be signed by at least 10 percent of the voters of each area situated within each county, and each petition shall clearly designate in which affected county it was circulated, and each petition shall contain names only of the voters of the affected county in which the petition was circulated.

Such petition shall describe the proposed boundaries of the district, recite the reasons for the proposed formation, pray that the same be organized under this act, and propose a name by which such district shall be known. The persons seeking to organize a district shall include in the petition a statement limiting the annual property tax rate, not to exceed twenty cents ($0.20) for each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation, which may be levied by the board for the purpose of purchasing water for replenishment purposes, and the board shall thereafter be limited to the rate so fixed in the petition for formation, unless a majority of the electors voting at an election held for that purpose later change the rate so fixed in the petition.

If the proposed district is situated in more than one county, the county elections official of the principal county shall immediately transmit to the county elections officials of the participating counties the petitions containing the signatures of the voters of each participating county.

Within 30 days of the date of filing the petition with the county elections official of the principal county, the county elections officials of the affected counties shall examine the petition and ascertain whether or not the petition is signed by the requisite number of voters within the county. When the county elections officials of the affected counties have completed their examination of the petition, they shall each attach to the petition their certificates, properly dated, showing the results of the examination, and if from the examination they shall find that the petition is signed by the requisite number of voters residing within the boundaries of that portion of the proposed district within the affected county, or is not so signed, they shall certify the petition as sufficient or insufficient, as the case may be, and the certificates shall forthwith be transmitted to the county elections official of the principal county.