Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 235

Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 235
in effect

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.010 Street light maintenance districts (first class counties).

235.010. Street light maintenance districts (first class counties). — A street light maintenance district may be organized as provided in this chapter in any county of class one. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 1)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.020 Purpose of district - location.

235.020. Purpose of district — location. — A street light maintenance district shall have for its purpose the maintenance and operation of the street lights on the streets of the district. Such district must be wholly within a county of class one, must consist of contiguous tracts or parcels of property, and may be contiguous to but may not include any part of any incorporated city, town or village. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 2) CROSS REFERENCE: County planning commission powers over public improvement in class one counties, 64.010 to 64.295.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.030 Petition for organization, contents.

235.030. Petition for organization, contents. — The organization of a district shall be initiated by a petition filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission in the county in which the real property in the proposed district is situated. The petition shall be signed by one hundred voters of the proposed district. The petition shall set forth the following: (1) Proposed name of the street light maintenance district; (2) An estimated number of the inhabitants; (3) The assessed valuation of the taxable tangible property located in the district; (4) The estimated annual cost of the operation of the district; (5) A general description of the boundaries of the district or the territory to be included therein with such certainty as to enable a property owner to determine whether or not his property is within the district; (6) The names of three voters who shall constitute the first board of directors of the district, one to hold office until the first biennial election, one until two years and one until four years after such election; (7) Such other data and information as may be useful to the county commission in determining the necessity for the organization of the district. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 3, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.040 Petition may be amended - filing fee.

235.040. Petition may be amended — filing fee. — 1. No petition with the requisite signatures shall be declared null and void on account of alleged defects, but the county commission may at any time permit the petition to be amended to conform with the facts, by correcting any errors in the description of the territory, or in any other particular. Similar petitions or duplicate copies of the same petition for the organization of the same district, revising the boundaries of the proposed district, or recommending another chosen name for the district, or recommending other voters for the first board of directors, may be filed at any time before a hearing is had on the petition, and shall, together with the first petition, be regarded as one petition, and shall be considered by the county commission the same as though filed with the first petition placed on file. 2. There shall be filed with the petition, or petitions, a filing fee in the amount of one hundred dollars to be used by the county commission to pay for publication notices in connection with the hearing and for the submission of the question. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 4, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.050 Notice to be published, when.

235.050. Notice to be published, when. — Immediately after the filing of such petition, the county commission shall, by order, fix a time and place not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days after the petition is filed for a hearing thereon, and thereupon the county clerk shall cause notice by publication to be made of the filing of the petition and the pendency of the action and of the time and place of the hearing. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 5)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.060 Protesting petition.

235.060. Protesting petition. — Any time after the filing of a petition for the organization of a district and before the day fixed for the hearing thereon, a petition may be filed in the office of the county clerk protesting against the creation of the proposed district. Such protesting petition shall be signed and filed by or on behalf of one or more qualified taxpaying electors of the district, and shall recite wherein the incorporation of the district will not promote the purposes as set forth in the petition, or wherein sufficient facts have not been related to justify the incorporation of such district, and any other facts which may be useful to the commission in determining whether or not such original petition shall be allowed. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 6)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.070 County commission to declare district organized - election to ratify ...

235.070. County commission to declare district organized — election to ratify organization — board of directors, how selected. — 1. If it shall appear at the hearing that a petition for the organization of a district has been signed and presented, as provided in section 235.030 , in conformity with this law, and that no protesting petition has been filed, or if one has been filed, that the facts adduced in behalf thereof at the hearing are insufficient to sustain such protesting petition, the county commission shall, by order duly entered of record, declare the district organized, define the boundaries thereof, making such changes in the boundaries thereof, making such changes in the boundary line as set forth in the petition, if any, as the county commission may deem proper, and give it a corporate name by which in all proceedings it shall thereafter be known, and thereupon the district, subject to the election provided in this section, shall be a political subdivision of the state of Missouri and a body corporate with all the powers of like or similar corporations. 2. The order of incorporation shall not become final and conclusive until it shall have been submitted to the voters residing within the boundaries described in such order, and until it shall have been assented to by a majority vote of the voters of the district voting on the question. The county commission shall order the submission of the question. 3. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: Shall a street light maintenance district, to be known as the ______ street light maintenance district, be incorporated? 4. If a majority of the voters of the district voting on such question shall have voted in favor of the question to incorporate the district, then the commission shall enter its further order declaring the order of incorporation to be final and conclusive. In the event, however, that the commission shall find that a majority of the voters voting thereon shall not have voted in favor of the question to incorporate the district, then the commission shall enter its further order declaring said order of incorporation to be void and of no effect. 5. If the commission enters an order declaring the order of incorporation to be final and conclusive, it shall at the same time designate the first board of directors of said district from among the names of the voters who have been named in one or more petitions filed in said cause, one to hold office until the first biennial election of board members, one until two years and one until four years after such election. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 7, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.080 County commission findings and orders to be filed, where.

235.080. County commission findings and orders to be filed, where. — Within thirty days after the final order of the county commission in which said district has been declared a public corporation, the county clerk of said commission shall transmit to the recorder of deeds in the county in which the district is located copies of the findings and orders of the commission incorporating said district. The same shall be filed in the same manner as articles of incorporation are required to be filed under the general laws concerning corporations. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 8)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.090 Board members to qualify, how - bonds.

235.090. Board members to qualify, how — bonds. — Whenever a district has been declared duly and finally organized, the members of the board shall qualify by filing with the county clerk their oaths of office, which shall be in the form prescribed by the constitution, and such board members shall also file with the county clerk corporate surety bonds to be furnished at the expense of the district, the form and amount thereof to be fixed and approved by the county commission, and said bonds to be conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties as directors. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 9)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.100 Selection of officers - seal - duties of secretary.

235.100. Selection of officers — seal — duties of secretary. — After taking their oaths and filing their bonds, the board shall choose one of its members as chairman of the board and president of the district, and shall elect a secretary and a treasurer of the board and of the district, who may or may not be members of the board. The secretary and the treasurer may be one person. Such board shall adopt a seal, and the secretary shall keep in a well-bound book a record of all its proceedings, minutes of all meetings, certificates, contracts, bonds given by employees and a record of corporate acts, which shall be open to inspection of all owners of property in the district, as well as to all other interested parties. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 10)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.110 Treasurer's bond - financial statement.

235.110. Treasurer's bond — financial statement. — The treasurer shall keep strict and accurate accounts of all money received by and disbursed for and on behalf of the district in permanent records. He shall file with the county clerk, at the expense of the district, a corporate surety bond in an amount to be determined by the board, conditioned on the faithful performance of the duties of his office. He shall file in the office of the county clerk a detailed financial statement for the preceding fiscal year of the district on behalf of the board during the month of January. The fiscal year of the board shall be the same as the calendar year. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 11)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.120 Attendance fee - expenses - power of removal.

235.120. Attendance fee — expenses — power of removal. — Each member of the board shall receive an attendance fee in an amount not to exceed fifty dollars per diem for attending each regularly called board meeting, but shall not be paid for attending more than one in any calendar month. Each member of the board shall be reimbursed for his actual expenditures in the performance of his duties on behalf of the district. The county commission shall have power to remove directors or any of them for good cause shown upon a petition, notice and hearing. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 12, A.L. 1967 p. 352, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1548)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.130 Board meetings - quorum - vacancies, how filled.

235.130. Board meetings — quorum — vacancies, how filled. — The board shall meet at the place to be designated by the board as often as the needs of the district require, on notice to each member of the board. Two members of the board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting. Any vacancy on the board shall be filled by the remaining member or members of the board, the appointee or appointees to act until the next biennial election at which directors are elected as provided in section 235.140 , when the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by election. If the board shall fail, neglect or refuse to fill any vacancy within thirty days after the same occurs, the county commission shall fill such vacancy. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 13)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.140 Election of new board members, when.

235.140. Election of new board members, when. — 1. At the general election in the year after the first full calendar year after the organization of any district and at the general election thereafter, there shall be elected by the voters of the district one member of the board to serve for a term of six years. Nominations may be filed with the secretary of the board. 2. The candidates for board member shall be elected on a separate nonpartisan ballot. The candidate receiving the most votes shall be elected. Any new member of the board shall qualify in the same manner as members of the first board qualify. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 14, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.150 Powers - authority and privileges of board.

235.150. Powers — authority and privileges of board. — For the purpose of providing for the maintenance of street lighting within the district, the district and, on its behalf, the board, shall have the following powers, authority and privileges: (1) To have perpetual existence; (2) To have and use a corporate seal; (3) To sue and be sued, and be a party to suits, actions and proceedings; (4) To enter into contracts, franchises and agreements with any person, partnership, association or corporation, public or private, affecting the affairs of the district; (5) To acquire, dispose of and encumber real and personal property and any interest therein, including leases and easements; (6) To have the management, control and supervision of all the business and affairs of the district, and the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of district improvements therein; (7) To hire and retain agents, employees, engineers and attorneys; (8) To have and exercise the power of eminent domain and in the manner provided by law for the condemnation of private property for public use to take any property within the district necessary to the exercise of the powers herein granted; (9) To receive and accept by bequest, gift or donation any kind of property; (10) To adopt and amend bylaws and any other rules and regulations not in conflict with the constitution and laws of this state, necessary for the carrying on of the business, objects and affairs of the board and of the district, and to refer to the proper authorities for prosecution any infraction thereof detrimental to the district. Any person violating any such ordinance, rules and regulations is hereby declared to be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as is provided by law therefor; (11) To have and exercise all rights and powers necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific powers granted herein. Such specific powers shall not be considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this law. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 15)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.160 Power of taxation.

235.160. Power of taxation. — For the purpose of providing revenue for such districts, the board shall have the power and authority to order the levy and collection of ad valorem taxes on and against all taxable tangible property within the district, and to make timely demand for any and all other taxes or allocations to which the district may be entitled. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 16)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.170 Board to fix rate of taxation.

235.170. Board to fix rate of taxation. — To levy and collect taxes as provided in section 235.160 , the board shall in each year determine the amount of money necessary to be raised by taxation, and shall fix a rate of levy which, when levied upon every dollar of the taxable tangible property within the district as shown by the last completed assessment, and with other revenues, will raise the amount required by the district annually to supply funds for paying the expenses of organization and the costs of the district, which rate of levy shall not exceed forty cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 17, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1624, A.L. 1989 H.B. 197)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.175 Increase of tax rate - election - form of ballot - maximum rate.

235.175. Increase of tax rate — election — form of ballot — maximum rate. — 1. Before the board of directors of any street light maintenance district may increase the district's current tax levy, the proposed increase must be approved by a majority of the voters voting thereon. 2. The proposition to increase the tax levy may be submitted by the board of directors or upon petition of five hundred registered voters of the district. All propositions to increase the tax levy shall be submitted at the next election permitted by section 115.123 . 3. A separate ballot containing the question shall read as follows: 4. If a majority of the qualified voters casting votes thereon be in favor of the increased tax levy, the board of directors shall raise the tax levy to the level approved by the voters. If a majority of the voters casting votes thereon do not vote in favor of the increased tax levy, any levy previously authorized shall remain in effect. 5. No street light maintenance district shall fix a rate of levy which exceeds the maximum tax levy authorized by section 235.170 . (L. 1978 H.B. 1624 § 2) Effective 5-31-78

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.180 Board to certify rate of levy to county commission.

235.180. Board to certify rate of levy to county commission. — On or before the first day of September of each year, the board shall certify to the county commission of the county within which the district is located a rate of levy so fixed by the board as provided by law, with directions that at the time and in the manner required by law for levy of taxes for county purposes such county commission shall levy a tax at the rate so fixed and determined upon the assessed valuation of all the taxable tangible property within the district, in addition to such other taxes as may be levied by such county commission. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 18)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.190 Taxes to be levied and collected as other taxes.

235.190. Taxes to be levied and collected as other taxes. — It shall be the duty of the body having authority to levy taxes within the county to levy the taxes provided in this law, and it shall be the duty of all officials charged with the duty of collecting taxes to collect such taxes at the time and in the form and manner and with like interest and penalties as other taxes are collected; and when collected, to pay the same to the district ordering its levy and collection or entitled to the same, and the payment of such collections shall be made monthly to the treasurer of the district and paid into the depositary thereof to the credit of the district. All taxes levied under this law, together with interest thereon and penalties for default in payment thereof, and all costs of collecting the same, shall, until paid, constitute a perpetual lien on and against the property taxed, and such lien shall be on a parity with the tax lien of general taxes, and no sale of such property to enforce any general tax or other lien shall extinguish the perpetual lien of district taxes. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 19)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.200 Property to be sold for delinquent taxes - manner.

235.200. Property to be sold for delinquent taxes — manner. — If the taxes levied are not paid as provided in section 235.190 , then the delinquent real property shall be sold at the regular tax sale for the payment of said taxes, interest and penalties, in the manner provided by the statutes of the state of Missouri for selling property for the nonpayment of general taxes. If there are no bids at said tax sale for the property so offered, said property shall be struck off to the county or other agency provided by law, and the county or agency shall account to the district in the same manner as provided by law for accounting for school, town and city taxes. Delinquent personal property shall be distrained and sold as provided by general law. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 20)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.210 Boundaries of district may be altered to include new territory - ...

235.210. Boundaries of district may be altered to include new territory — annexation, procedure. — 1. The boundaries of any district organized under the provisions of this law may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section and in section 235.220 , but any change of boundaries of the district shall not impair or affect its organization or its rights in or to property, or any of its rights or privileges whatsoever; or shall it affect or impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge for or upon which it might be liable or chargeable had the change of boundaries not been made. 2. A petition for annexation of real property in an area contiguous with a street light maintenance district organized under this chapter and not located within any municipality or another street light maintenance district shall be signed by property owners who own not less than ten percent of the parcels of property within the area proposed for annexation. The petition shall be filed with the county clerk in which the district is situated and shall be addressed to the county commission. A hearing shall be held regarding the proposed annexation petition as soon as reasonably possible. If the county commission finds at the hearing that the petition is in compliance with the provisions of this section, they shall order the question to be submitted to the voters within the proposed area of annexation and within the district at a municipal, primary, or general election. 3. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: 4. If a majority of the votes cast on the question in the district and in the area described in the petition, respectively, are in favor of the annexation, the county commission shall by order declare the area annexed and shall describe the altered boundaries of the district. A copy of the order of the commission shall be filed within the county recorder. If a majority of the votes cast on the question in the district and in the area described in the petition, respectively, are not in favor of the annexation, such area shall not be declared annexed. No such question shall be resubmitted to the voters sooner than twelve months from the date of submission of the last question. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 21, A.L. 1967 p. 353, A.L. 2007 S.B. 22)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.220 Boundaries may be altered to exclude certain territory, how.

235.220. Boundaries may be altered to exclude certain territory, how. — 1. The owner or owners of any real or personal property contained within the boundaries of the district may file with the board a petition praying that such property be excluded and taken from said district. Such petition shall describe the property which the petitioners desire to have excluded. 2. The secretary of the board shall cause a notice of filing of such petition to be published in the county in which said property is located. The notice shall state the filing of such petition, the names of petitioners, description of the property mentioned sought to be excluded and the prayer of said petitioners; and it shall notify all persons interested to appear at the office of said board at the time named in said notice showing cause in writing, if any they have, why said petition should not be granted. 3. The board at the time and place mentioned in the notice, or at the time or times at which the hearing of said petition may be adjourned, shall proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto presented in writing by any person showing cause as aforesaid, why the prayer of the petition should not be granted. The filing of such petition shall be deemed and taken as an assent by each and all such petitioners to the exclusion from the district of the property mentioned in the petition, or any part thereof. 4. The board, if it deems it not for the best interests of the district that the property mentioned in the petition, or any portion thereof, shall be excluded from the district, shall order that said petition be denied; but if it deems it for the best interest of the district that the property mentioned in the petition, or some portion thereof, be excluded from the district, then the board may order the property mentioned in the petition or some portion thereof, excluded from the district. 5. Upon allowance of such petition, the board shall file a certified copy of the order of the board making such change with the county clerk; and upon order of the county commission said property shall be excluded from the district, and a copy of the order of the board and the order of the commission shall be filed with the recorder. 6. The county commission shall make any such order excluding property from the district as provided in the order of the board, unless the commission shall find that such order of the board was not authorized by law, or that such order of the board was not supported by competent and substantial evidence. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 22)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.230 Property subject to taxation.

235.230. Property subject to taxation. — All real property included within, or excluded from, a district shall thereafter be subject to the levy of taxes for the payment of any indebtedness of the district outstanding at the time of inclusion or exclusion; provided, however, that after any real property shall have been excluded from a district, as provided in section 235.220 , any buildings and improvements thereafter erected or constructed on said excluded real property, and all machinery and equipment thereafter installed or placed therein or thereon, and all tangible personal property not in said district at the time of the exclusion of said real property from said district which shall thereafter be situate on or used in connection with said real property, shall not be subject to any taxes levied by said district. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 23)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.240 Annexation of district by municipality.

235.240. Annexation of district by municipality. — Any provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, no city, town or village shall annex a part of the territory of any district; but nothing herein shall be construed so as to prevent the annexation of the whole of the territory of a district by any city, town or village. If the entire district be annexed by any city, town or village as provided by law such municipality shall assume all debts, liabilities and obligations of the district; and title to all property, real, personal and mixed, of the district shall be transferred to and vested in such municipality. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 24)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.250 Dissolution of district, election for, when required - form of ballot.

235.250. Dissolution of district, election for, when required — form of ballot. — 1. Whenever a petition signed by not less than one hundred voters in any district organized under the provisions of this chapter shall have been filed with the county commission setting forth all the relevant facts pertaining to said district, and alleging that the further operation of said district is inimicable to the best interests of the inhabitants of said district, and that said district should, in the interest of the public welfare and safety, be dissolved, said county commission shall have authority, after hearing evidence submitted on the aforesaid question, to order a submission of the question which shall be submitted to the voters of the district. 2. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: Shall the ______ street light maintenance district be dissolved? (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 25, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.260 Dissolution of district, when - procedure.

235.260. Dissolution of district, when — procedure. — 1. If the commission shall find that it is to the best interest of the inhabitants of said district * that such district be dissolved, it shall make an order reciting the same and providing for the submission of the question to dissolve such district to a vote of the voters of the district. The question shall be submitted only at the time of the general election at which a board member is elected. Returns of the submission of the question certified to the commission. 2. If the commission finds that a majority of the voters voting thereon shall have voted in favor of the question to dissolve said district, the commission shall make a final order dissolving said district, and the order shall contain a proviso that said district shall continue in full force for the purpose of paying all outstanding and lawful obligations and disposing of property of the district; but no additional costs or obligations shall be created except such as are necessary to pay such costs, obligations and liabilities theretofore incurred or necessary to the winding up of the district. 3. If the commission shall find that a majority of the voters of the district voting thereon shall not have voted favorably on the question to dissolve such district, then the commission shall make a final order declaring such result dismissing the petition praying for the dissolution of said district; and the district shall continue to operate in the same manner as though said petition asking for such dissolution had not been filed. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 26, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971) *Word "and" appears here in original rolls.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 235.270 Appointment of trustee to liquidate district.

235.270. Appointment of trustee to liquidate district. — No dissolution of such district shall invalidate or affect any right accruing to such district, or to any person, or invalidate or affect any contract or indebtedness entered into or imposed upon such district or person; and whenever the county commission shall, under the provisions of section 235.260 , dissolve any such district, the said commission shall appoint some competent person to act as trustee for the said district so dissolved, and such trustee before entering upon the discharge of his duties shall take and subscribe an oath that he will faithfully discharge the duties of his office, and shall give bond with sufficient security, to be approved by the county commission, to the use of such dissolved district, for the faithful discharge of his duties, and shall proceed to liquidate said district under orders of said commission. (L. 1947 V. I p. 452 § 27)
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