SECTIONS 19600-19614 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 19600-19614

19600. Any unincorporated town or village of this state may
establish, equip, and maintain a public library for the dissemination
of knowledge of the arts, sciences, and general literature, in
accordance with this chapter. Any unincorporated town or village of
this state may also establish, equip, and maintain a public museum in
accordance with this chapter.

19601. Upon the application, by petition, of 50 or more taxpayers
and residents of any unincorporated town or village to the board of
supervisors in the county in which the town or village is located,
for the formation of a library district, and setting forth the
boundaries of the proposed district, the board of supervisors shall,
within 10 days after receiving the petition, by resolution, order
that an election be held in the proposed district for the
determination of the question and shall conduct the election.

19603. Within five days after the district formation election has
been called, the legislative body which has called the election shall
transmit, by registered mail, a written notification of the election
call to the executive officer of the local agency formation
commission of the county or principal county in which the territory
or major portion of the territory of the proposed district is
located. Such written notice shall include the name and a description
of the proposed district, and may be in the form of a certified copy
of the resolution adopted by the legislative body calling the
district formation election.
The executive officer, within five days after being notified that
a district formation election has been called, shall submit to the
commission, for its approval or modification, an impartial analysis
of the proposed district formation.
The impartial analysis shall not exceed 500 words in length and
shall include a specific description of the boundaries of the
district proposed to be formed.
The local agency formation commission, within five days after the
receipt of the executive officer's analysis, shall approve or modify
the analysis and submit it to the officials in charge of conducting
the district formation election.

19604. The board of supervisors or any member or members of the
board authorized by the board, or any individual voter or bona fide
association of citizens entitled to vote on the district formation
proposition, or any combination of such voters and associations of
citizens, may file a written argument for or a written argument
against the proposed district formation.
Arguments shall not exceed 300 words in length and shall be filed
with the officials in charge of conducting the election not less than
54 days prior to the date of the district formation election.

19605. If more than one argument for or more than one argument
against the proposed district formation is filed with the election
officials within the time prescribed, such election officials shall
select one of the arguments for printing and distribution to the
voters.
In selecting the arguments, the election officials shall give
preference and priority in the order named to the arguments of the
following:
(a) The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board
authorized by the board.
(b) Individual voters or bona fide associations of citizens or a
combination of such voters and associations.

19608. The election shall be conducted in accordance with the
general election laws of this state, where applicable, without
reference to form of ballot or manner of voting, except that the
ballots shall contain the words, "For library district," and the
voter shall write or print after the words on his ballot the word
"Yes," or the word "No."

19610. The election officers shall report the result of the
election to the board of supervisors within five days after the
election.

19611. If a majority of the votes at the election is in favor of a
library district, the board of supervisors shall by resolution,
establish the library district, and shall appoint five trustees, who
shall be qualified electors and residents within the limits of the
district, to be known as a board of library trustees of the town or
village for which they are appointed.

19612. Vacancies shall be filled by the board of supervisors by
appointment for the unexpired term.

19613. If a majority of the votes cast is against a library
district, the board of supervisors shall, by order, so declare, and
no other proceedings shall be taken in relation thereto until the
expiration of one year from the date of presentation of the petition.

19614. The fact of the presentation of the petition, and the order
establishing the library district and making the appointment of the
five library trustees, shall be entered in the minutes of the board
of supervisors and shall be conclusive evidence of the due
presentation of a proper petition, and that each of the petitioners
was, at the time of signature and presentation of the petition, a
taxpayer and resident of the proposed district, and of the fact and
regularity of all prior proceedings of every kind and nature provided
for by this article and of the existence and validity of the
district.